Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Receives $249.20 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eighteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation, thirteen have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $253.4667.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on NTRA shares. Guggenheim increased their price target on Natera from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Stephens raised their target price on shares of Natera from $197.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Natera from $205.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Natera from $218.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Natera in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a “buy” rating and a $300.00 price objective on the stock.

Insider Activity at Natera

In other news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 23,205 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.74, for a total value of $5,447,141.70. Following the sale, the insider owned 144,992 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $34,035,422.08. The trade was a 13.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 85,299 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.72, for a total value of $19,680,185.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 127,881 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,504,704.32. This represents a 40.01% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 367,669 shares of company stock worth $85,584,453 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 5.63% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in Natera during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Palladiem LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Horizon Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust boosted its stake in shares of Natera by 103.8% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 163 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Natera by 95.7% in the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 225 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.90% of the company’s stock.

Natera Trading Up 3.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:NTRA opened at $207.04 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $225.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $204.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.34 billion, a P/E ratio of -135.32 and a beta of 1.65. Natera has a 52 week low of $125.38 and a 52 week high of $256.36.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The medical research company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.46) by $0.81. Natera had a negative return on equity of 16.71% and a negative net margin of 9.03%.The business had revenue of $665.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $600.68 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.41) EPS. Analysts predict that Natera will post -1.49 EPS for the current year.

Natera Company Profile

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.