Norges Bank Makes New $224.04 Million Investment in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 1,415,285 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $224,040,000. Norges Bank owned 1.07% of Natera as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Natera by 104.3% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Natera by 345.8% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 214 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Natera by 372.9% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 261 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Natera by 20.7% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natera during the 3rd quarter worth about $57,000. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Natera Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:NTRA traded down $4.84 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $133.87. The company had a trading volume of 3,247,142 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,378,504. Natera, Inc. has a twelve month low of $83.13 and a twelve month high of $183.00. The stock has a market cap of $18.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -76.06 and a beta of 1.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 4.39 and a quick ratio of 4.23. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $156.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $151.23.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The medical research company reported ($0.41) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.42) by $0.01. The business had revenue of $476.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $447.91 million. Natera had a negative return on equity of 26.23% and a negative net margin of 14.01%. On average, research analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Natera from $183.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Natera from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Natera from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Natera in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $178.12.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John Fesko sold 663 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.77, for a total transaction of $117,861.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 156,044 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,739,941.88. This represents a 0.42 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 2,562 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.41, for a total transaction of $354,606.42. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 75,557 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,457,844.37. This trade represents a 3.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 325,922 shares of company stock valued at $51,603,664 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

Natera Company Profile

Natera, Inc, a diagnostics company, develops and commercializes molecular testing services worldwide. Its products include Panorama, a non-invasive prenatal test that screens for chromosomal abnormalities of a fetus, as well as in twin pregnancies; Horizon carrier screening test for individuals and couples determine if they are carriers of genetic variations that cause certain genetic conditions; Vistara single-gene NIPT screens for 25 single-gene disorders that cause severe skeletal, cardiac, and neurological conditions; Spectrum, preimplantation genetic tests for couples undergoing IVF; Anora that analyzes miscarriage tissue from women; Empower, a hereditary cancer screening test; and non-invasive prenatal paternity product, which allows a couple to establish paternity without waiting for the child to be born.