Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Put Options on Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Investors purchased 2,463 put options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 465% compared to the typical volume of 436 put options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NTRA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $145.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Leerink Partners upped their price target on shares of Natera from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price target on shares of Natera from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, BTIG Research upped their price target on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $125.69.

Insider Activity at Natera

In related news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 1,196 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.21, for a total value of $141,379.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 110,695 shares in the company, valued at $13,085,255.95. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 1,196 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.21, for a total value of $141,379.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 110,695 shares in the company, valued at $13,085,255.95. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 1,866 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.45, for a total transaction of $235,955.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 68,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,706,208.95. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 47,464 shares of company stock worth $5,849,977 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Natera

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Natera in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Quarry LP lifted its position in shares of Natera by 148.4% in 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 in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Natera by 50.0% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 324 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in shares of Natera by 34.3% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 372 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tobam acquired a new position in Natera in the second quarter worth approximately $74,000. 99.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Natera Price Performance

NASDAQ NTRA opened at $133.97 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $124.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $114.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 4.14 and a quick ratio of 4.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -54.68 and a beta of 1.53. Natera has a 52-week low of $46.96 and a 52-week high of $140.00.

About Natera

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.