Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Upgraded at StockNews.com

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

NTRA has been the subject of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Natera from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Natera from $120.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Natera in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $142.00 price target for the company. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on Natera from $100.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Natera currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $119.07.

Natera Stock Down 0.2 %

NASDAQ:NTRA opened at $123.78 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 3.98 and a current ratio of 4.12. The company has a market cap of $15.20 billion, a PE ratio of -39.67 and a beta of 1.48. Natera has a 52-week low of $36.90 and a 52-week high of $124.29. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $108.98 and a 200 day simple moving average of $97.29.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $413.35 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $343.00 million. Natera had a negative return on equity of 49.72% and a negative net margin of 30.24%. Natera’s quarterly revenue was up 58.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.97) earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Natera will post -2.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 6,105 shares of Natera stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.61, for a total transaction of $681,379.05. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 213,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,812,105.11. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Natera news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 4,983 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.37, for a total transaction of $540,007.71. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 75,059 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,134,143.83. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 6,105 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.61, for a total value of $681,379.05. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 213,351 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,812,105.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 101,891 shares of company stock valued at $11,244,549. Insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NTRA. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Natera by 6,007.5% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 7,329 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $459,000 after acquiring an additional 7,209 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its stake in Natera by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 23,844 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,494,000 after acquiring an additional 3,228 shares during the period. abrdn plc bought a new position in Natera during the 4th quarter worth $3,214,000. CWM LLC increased its stake in Natera by 41.8% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,867 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $117,000 after acquiring an additional 550 shares during the period. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in shares of Natera by 15.3% in the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 18,800 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,178,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.