Steven Leonard Chapman Sells 3,580 Shares of Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Stock

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 3,580 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.07, for a total transaction of $909,570.60. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 102,973 shares in the company, valued at $26,162,350.11. This trade represents a 3.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Steven Leonard Chapman also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, July 27th, Steven Leonard Chapman sold 2,190 shares of Natera stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.49, for a total value of $570,473.10.
• On Thursday, June 4th, Steven Leonard Chapman sold 41,124 shares of Natera stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.03, for a total transaction of $9,089,637.72.
• On Friday, May 1st, Steven Leonard Chapman sold 902 shares of Natera stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $206.16, for a total transaction of $185,956.32.

Natera Trading Up 6.2%

NTRA stock opened at $269.66 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $245.48 and its 200-day moving average is $221.90. Natera, Inc. has a 1-year low of $131.81 and a 1-year high of $288.04. The firm has a market cap of $38.62 billion, a P/E ratio of -165.44 and a beta of 1.51.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Natera during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Natera in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Palladiem LLC acquired a new stake in Natera in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Horizon Investments LLC bought a new stake in Natera in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Natera by 132.9% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 170 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Natera News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Natera this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable: Canaccord Genuity raised its price target to $330 and maintained a “buy” rating, while the broader analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $267.83. Analyst and Natera market coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership and recent buying provide additional support. Major investors including Coatue Management, Wellington Management, Norges Bank, JPMorgan and AQR Capital Management increased their positions; institutions collectively own approximately 99.9% of the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 5,064 shares worth about $1.28 million, while CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 5,770 shares for roughly $1.48 million. Because the sales were pre-arranged and intended to satisfy tax-withholding obligations, they are less likely to signal reduced management confidence. CFO SEC filing CEO SEC filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Insiders John Fesko and Solomon Moshkevich also sold shares under similar tax-related plans, while retaining sizable positions. Fesko’s latest sale involved 782 shares worth approximately $203,700. Fesko SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: The concentration of insider selling could create modest short-term selling pressure and may prompt valuation concerns. Natera also trades at a high valuation relative to its earnings profile, with a negative trailing price-to-earnings ratio, although no new operational warning accompanied the filings.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Natera in a report on Friday, June 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $310.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $265.00 target price on Natera in a research note on Friday, May 8th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $249.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Natera from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Natera currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $267.83.

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.