Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Reaches New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $264.65 and last traded at $259.97, with a volume of 2940685 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $234.76.

Natera News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Natera this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Japan approved Signatera for colorectal cancer, making it the first PMDA-approved MRD test in the country and opening a new international market for Natera. Why Natera (NTRA) Is Up 6.7% After Japan Approves First MRD Test for Colorectal Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Signatera also received regulatory approval in Japan for colorectal cancer, reinforcing the significance of the launch and the potential for broader commercial traction. Signatera™ Receives Regulatory Approval in Japan for Colorectal Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Japan’s approval for Signatera has been described as a landmark win, highlighting Natera’s leadership in MRD testing and likely boosting investor confidence in the platform. Natera Secures Landmark Japan Nod For Signatera In Colorectal Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: The NCCN updated bladder cancer guidelines to recommend ctDNA-MRD testing using Signatera technology, which may further validate the product and support more testing volume. NCCN Recommends ctDNA-MRD Testing Using Signatera™ Technology in Landmark Bladder Cancer Guideline Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Natera announced a partnership with Pirche to connect transplant risk assessment with Prospera monitoring, a strategic collaboration that could broaden its transplant diagnostics workflow but is less immediately material than the Signatera news. Natera (NTRA) Teams With Pirche To Link Transplant Risk And Prospera Monitoring
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays trimmed its price target to $260 while keeping an overweight rating, which may have capped some enthusiasm but does not change the overall bullish tone. Benzinga analyst update
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG raised its price target to $270 and reiterated a buy rating, adding another supportive analyst signal for the stock. Benzinga analyst update

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NTRA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group set a $260.00 price objective on shares of Natera in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Natera from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Natera in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $275.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $265.00 price target on Natera in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $249.00 price target on shares of Natera in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $256.24.

Natera Trading Up 10.7%

The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $210.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $215.43. The stock has a market cap of $37.23 billion, a P/E ratio of -159.49 and a beta of 1.56.

Insider Activity at Natera

In other news, Director Roelof Botha sold 78,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.31, for a total transaction of $17,184,180.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,076,198 shares in the company, valued at approximately $237,097,181.38. This represents a 6.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Gail Boxer Marcus sold 11,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.21, for a total transaction of $2,389,310.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 6,183 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,343,009.43. This represents a 64.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 162,342 shares of company stock valued at $35,283,396 in the last three months. 5.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natera

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Reflection Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Natera during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Palladiem LLC bought a new position in Natera in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust boosted its holdings in Natera by 103.8% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 163 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in Natera by 132.9% in the first quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 170 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Natera during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.