Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Upgraded at BNP Paribas Exane

BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a report released on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has $172.00 price target on the medical research company’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $268.00 price objective on Natera and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $183.00 price objective on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, August 15th. Zacks Research lowered Natera from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $194.89.

Natera Stock Performance

Shares of Natera stock opened at $192.81 on Monday. Natera has a one year low of $120.67 and a one year high of $198.99. The company has a market capitalization of $26.46 billion, a PE ratio of -100.95 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $173.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $161.35.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The medical research company reported ($0.74) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.60) by ($0.14). Natera had a negative net margin of 12.89% and a negative return on equity of 22.22%. The company had revenue of $546.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $476.84 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.30) EPS. The business’s revenue was up 32.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Natera has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Natera will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Natera

In related news, Director Rowan E. Chapman sold 2,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $166.99, for a total value of $459,222.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 6,015 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,004,444.85. This represents a 31.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 14,083 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $2,253,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 154,072 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,651,520. This represents a 8.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 72,367 shares of company stock valued at $11,980,544 in the last 90 days. 5.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Natera

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Jackson Thornton Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the 3rd quarter worth about $449,000. QTR Family Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the 3rd quarter worth about $200,000. Allstate Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the 3rd quarter worth about $775,000. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its position in shares of Natera by 143.4% during the 3rd quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 5,340 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $900,000 after purchasing an additional 3,146 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Natera by 28.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 36,411 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $6,136,000 after purchasing an additional 8,088 shares during the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.