Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, August 9th. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Natera from $137.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Natera from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on shares of Natera from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Natera currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.69.

Natera Stock Up 2.7 %

NASDAQ:NTRA opened at $130.39 on Wednesday. Natera has a 1-year low of $40.61 and a 1-year high of $133.54. The company has a 50-day moving average of $124.03 and a 200 day moving average of $113.28. The firm has a market cap of $16.13 billion, a PE ratio of -53.22 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 4.14 and a quick ratio of 4.01.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jonathan Sheena sold 2,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.82, for a total value of $307,314.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 299,441 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,082,374.62. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 5,583 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.91, for a total value of $663,874.53. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 200,710 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,866,426.10. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Jonathan Sheena sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.82, for a total transaction of $307,314.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 299,441 shares in the company, valued at $34,082,374.62. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 50,164 shares of company stock worth $6,157,291. 7.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natera

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Natera by 7,765.9% during the 3rd quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,225 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $409,000 after purchasing an additional 3,184 shares during the period. First Turn Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $19,760,000. Swiss National Bank grew its stake in shares of Natera by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 227,900 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $28,932,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in shares of Natera by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 143,903 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $18,269,000 after purchasing an additional 1,685 shares during the period. Finally, RiverPark Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Natera by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. RiverPark Advisors LLC now owns 3,347 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $425,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.90% 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.