Beaconlight Capital LLC Sells 29,821 Shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Beaconlight Capital LLC cut its stake in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 39.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 44,994 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 29,821 shares during the quarter. Natera accounts for about 2.6% of Beaconlight Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Beaconlight Capital LLC's holdings in Natera were worth $7,123,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Natera by 104.3% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Natera by 345.8% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 214 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Natera by 372.9% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. grew its position in Natera by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in Natera by 1,328.0% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 357 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on NTRA shares. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Natera from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Natera from $183.00 to $188.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada started coverage on shares of Natera in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $251.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $175.76.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider John Fesko sold 343 shares of Natera stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.55, for a total value of $49,923.65. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 156,946 shares in the company, valued at $22,843,490.30. This trade represents a 0.22 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 87,272 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.40, for a total transaction of $12,514,804.80. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 203,354 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $29,160,963.60. The trade was a 30.03 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 153,099 shares of company stock worth $22,136,941. 7.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Natera Price Performance

NASDAQ:NTRA traded up $4.60 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $160.10. The stock had a trading volume of 1,248,594 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,384,888. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -90.97 and a beta of 1.79. Natera, Inc. has a one year low of $92.14 and a one year high of $183.00. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $146.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $154.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 4.39 and a quick ratio of 4.23.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) 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. Natera had a negative return on equity of 26.23% and a negative net margin of 14.01%. The business had revenue of $476.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $447.91 million. Research analysts forecast that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.