Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Sets New 52-Week Low After Insider Selling

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $148.00 and last traded at $150.93, with a volume of 985574 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $154.89.

Specifically, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 2,018 shares of Natera stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.18, for a total transaction of $307,099.24. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 73,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,191,165.02. The trade was a 2.67 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 6,203 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.18, for a total transaction of $943,972.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 192,162 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,243,213.16. The trade was a 3.13 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In other news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 2,206 shares of Natera stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.18, for a total transaction of $335,709.08. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 139,280 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,195,630.40. The trade was a 1.56 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Natera from $183.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Natera from $200.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natera from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $175.76.

Natera Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 4.23, a current ratio of 4.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $146.92 and a 200-day simple moving average of $153.99. The company has a market capitalization of $20.46 billion, a P/E ratio of -86.00 and a beta of 1.80.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last posted its earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $476.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $447.91 million. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.01% and a negative return on equity of 26.23%. Analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Natera in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Natera by 104.3% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted 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 acquiring an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of Natera by 117.8% during the first quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 220 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, ORG Partners LLC bought a new stake in Natera during the first quarter worth approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.90% of the company’s stock.

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.