Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) have received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the sixteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $178.12.

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on NTRA. StockNews.com raised Natera from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Natera in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th.

Natera Trading Up 3.3 %

NASDAQ NTRA opened at $138.26 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 4.39 and a quick ratio of 4.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.69 billion, a P/E ratio of -78.56 and a beta of 1.80. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $156.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.65. Natera has a 12 month low of $83.13 and a 12 month high of $183.00.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The medical research company reported ($0.41) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.42) by $0.01. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.01% and a negative return on equity of 26.23%. The firm had revenue of $476.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $447.91 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Natera will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Natera

In other Natera news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 25,931 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total value of $4,277,837.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 109,665 shares in the company, valued at $18,091,435.05. This represents a 19.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 9,563 shares of Natera stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.41, for a total value of $1,323,614.83. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 212,541 shares in the company, valued at $29,417,799.81. This trade represents a 4.31 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 325,922 shares of company stock worth $51,603,664 over the last three months. Insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natera

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of NTRA. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Natera in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Natera by 104.3% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Natera by 345.8% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 214 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Natera by 372.9% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 261 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Natera by 20.7% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is 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.