Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Trims Position in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lessened its position in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 19.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 115,965 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 27,938 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned approximately 0.09% of Natera worth $18,357,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Natera by 104.3% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted 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 acquiring an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Natera by 372.9% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Natera by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC bought a new position in shares of Natera in the 3rd quarter worth about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.90% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on NTRA. The Goldman Sachs Group raised 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. Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on Natera in a report on Thursday, March 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $251.00 price target on the stock. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Natera from $183.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $180.00 price target on shares of Natera in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Natera presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $178.12.

Insider Activity at Natera

In other Natera news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 946 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.98, for a total transaction of $162,693.08. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 109,474 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,827,338.52. This represents a 0.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 6,702 shares of Natera stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.03, for a total transaction of $978,693.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 203,354 shares of the company's stock, valued at $29,695,784.62. The trade was a 3.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 306,797 shares of company stock worth $48,940,883. 7.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Natera Stock Down 3.1 %

NASDAQ:NTRA traded down $4.74 on Wednesday, hitting $149.84. The stock had a trading volume of 1,091,707 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,336,917. Natera, Inc. has a 1 year low of $83.13 and a 1 year high of $183.00. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $160.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $150.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 4.23 and a current ratio of 4.39. The stock has a market cap of $20.26 billion, a P/E ratio of -85.14 and a beta of 1.80.

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

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.