Cerity Partners LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Cerity Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) by 1,043.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 90,423 shares of the medical research company’s stock after acquiring an additional 82,514 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings in Natera were worth $5,664,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in NTRA. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in Natera by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 6,216 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $389,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its holdings in Natera by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 45,469 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,012,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in Natera by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 83,843 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $3,710,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. lifted its holdings in Natera by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 14,506 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $642,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its holdings in Natera by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 43,299 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,897,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.90% of the company’s stock.

Natera Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:NTRA opened at $90.32 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $84.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $65.24. The company has a current ratio of 4.10, a quick ratio of 3.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The company has a market capitalization of $10.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -23.83 and a beta of 1.37. Natera, Inc. has a 12-month low of $36.90 and a 12-month high of $98.82.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 28th. The medical research company reported ($0.64) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.73) by $0.09. Natera had a negative return on equity of 62.19% and a negative net margin of 40.16%. The company had revenue of $311.11 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $300.38 million. Sell-side analysts expect that Natera, Inc. will post -2.35 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 1,378 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.62, for a total transaction of $127,630.36. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 70,646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,543,232.52. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Natera news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 1,958 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.16, for a total transaction of $133,457.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 175,550 shares in the company, valued at $11,965,488. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 1,378 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.62, for a total value of $127,630.36. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 70,646 shares in the company, valued at $6,543,232.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 366,477 shares of company stock valued at $28,552,682. Company insiders own 9.42% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on NTRA. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Natera from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, April 5th. Craig Hallum initiated coverage on Natera in a report on Monday, April 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $117.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of Natera in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. BTIG Research raised their target price on Natera from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Natera from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $86.40.

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.