Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Director Sells $11,011,448.98 in Stock

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Director Herm Rosenman sold 48,419 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.42, for a total transaction of $11,011,448.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 20,342 shares in the company, valued at $4,626,177.64. This trade represents a 70.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Natera Stock Performance

NASDAQ NTRA opened at $224.74 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $31.09 billion, a PE ratio of -98.14 and a beta of 1.63. Natera, Inc. has a 52-week low of $125.38 and a 52-week high of $246.90. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $211.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $178.40.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last released its earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The medical research company reported ($0.64) earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $592.18 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $514.55 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.26) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 34.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Natera from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Natera from $218.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Stephens increased their target price on shares of Natera from $197.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $268.00 target price on shares of Natera and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 2nd. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Natera from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $229.12.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Horizon Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Natera in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of Natera by 83.5% in the first quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 233 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Natera in the second quarter worth $33,000. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group bought a new stake in Natera during the second quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new position in Natera during the first quarter worth about $39,000. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.