Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Earns Overweight Rating from Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler reissued their overweight rating on shares of Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) in a research report report published on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $150.00 price target on the medical research company’s stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Natera from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Natera from $137.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on Natera from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Natera in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. They set a buy rating and a $142.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Natera from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $120.07.

Natera Price Performance

Shares of NTRA opened at $129.67 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $112.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.17. The company has a market capitalization of $15.92 billion, a P/E ratio of -41.56 and a beta of 1.53. Natera has a fifty-two week low of $36.90 and a fifty-two week high of $132.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 4.01 and a current ratio of 4.14.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The medical research company reported ($0.30) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.69) by $0.39. Natera had a negative net margin of 21.47% and a negative return on equity of 36.74%. The firm had revenue of $413.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $343.00 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.97) earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 58.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Natera will post -1.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Natera

In other news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 37,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.10, for a total transaction of $4,053,750.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 213,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,063,243.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 37,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.10, for a total transaction of $4,053,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 213,351 shares in the company, valued at $23,063,243.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Jonathan Sheena sold 2,700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.87, for a total value of $293,949.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 301,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,857,836.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 86,197 shares of company stock worth $9,561,358. 7.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NTRA. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Natera during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Natera in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Quarry LP boosted its position in Natera by 148.4% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 318 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Natera by 50.0% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 324 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Finally, YHB Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Natera during the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.