Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Sets New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $247.40 and last traded at $247.7450, with a volume of 902239 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $237.42.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on NTRA. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Natera from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on Natera from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Natera from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. BTIG Research upped their price target on Natera from $230.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Natera from $190.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Natera presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $235.29.

Natera Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $34.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -108.62 and a beta of 1.62. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $222.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $184.24.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last posted its earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The medical research company reported ($0.64) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.39) by ($0.25). Natera had a negative net margin of 14.61% and a negative return on equity of 25.07%. The firm had revenue of $592.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $514.55 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.26) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 34.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Natera news, Director Roy D. Baynes sold 7,668 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.08, for a total transaction of $1,710,577.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 18,359 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,095,525.72. The trade was a 29.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 160,703 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.96, for a total value of $32,134,171.88. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 144,816 shares in the company, valued at $28,957,407.36. This trade represents a 52.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 336,481 shares of company stock worth $72,008,879. 5.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NTRA. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH raised its position in shares of Natera by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 1,804 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $290,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Guided Capital Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Natera by 0.5% during the second quarter. Guided Capital Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,135 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,219,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. BOKF NA increased its stake in shares of Natera by 1.9% during the third quarter. BOKF NA now owns 3,733 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $601,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. Silvant Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Natera by 0.5% during the third quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC now owns 13,488 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $2,171,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Main Management ETF Advisors LLC lifted its position in Natera by 1.7% in the second quarter. Main Management ETF Advisors LLC now owns 4,398 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $743,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.90% of the company’s stock.

About Natera

Natera is a global diagnostics company that develops and commercializes cell-free DNA and other genetic testing technologies for clinical applications. The company focuses on three principal areas: reproductive health (including non-invasive prenatal testing and carrier screening), oncology (tumor-informed assays for minimal residual disease and recurrence monitoring), and organ transplantation (cell-free DNA tests to detect allograft injury). Natera combines laboratory testing, proprietary bioinformatics, and clinical reporting to deliver personalized genetic information to clinicians and patients.

Key product offerings include Panorama, a non-invasive prenatal test that screens for fetal chromosomal abnormalities and select single-gene conditions; Horizon carrier screening for inherited conditions; Signatera, a personalized, tumor-informed assay used for detecting minimal residual disease and monitoring treatment response in cancer patients; and Prospera, a donor-derived cell-free DNA test used to assess the risk of organ rejection.