Insider Selling: Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Insider Sells $106,772.40 in Stock

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) insider John Fesko sold 669 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.60, for a total transaction of $106,772.40. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 114,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,217,063.20. This trade represents a 0.58 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Natera Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ:NTRA opened at $160.26 on Friday. Natera, Inc. has a 12-month low of $58.53 and a 12-month high of $175.63. The company has a market cap of $21.16 billion, a PE ratio of -91.06 and a beta of 1.63. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $150.92 and a 200 day moving average of $128.12. The company has a current ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 4.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 12th. The medical research company reported ($0.26) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.57) by $0.31. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.01% and a negative return on equity of 26.23%. The firm had revenue of $439.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $361.43 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.95) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 63.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Natera, Inc. will post -1.61 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on NTRA shares. Craig Hallum lifted their target price on Natera from $121.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on Natera from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Natera from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Natera from $120.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $152.67.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NTRA. Chartwell Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in Natera by 37.9% during the 3rd quarter. Chartwell Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,302 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $5,243,000 after purchasing an additional 11,362 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Natera by 27.0% during the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 86,144 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $10,936,000 after buying an additional 18,316 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Natera in the third quarter worth $385,000. Jag Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Natera by 8.8% during the third quarter. Jag Capital Management LLC now owns 175,590 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $22,291,000 after acquiring an additional 14,159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Turn Management LLC purchased a new position in Natera during the third quarter valued at $19,760,000. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.