2,306 Shares in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Bought by Vestcor Inc

Key Points

• Vestcor Inc has acquired a new position in Natera, Inc., purchasing 2,306 shares valued at approximately $326,000 in the first quarter.
• Natera's stock has exhibited a 50-day simple moving average of $156.49 and a twelve-month high of $183.00, with its shares trading up by $3.55 to $140.12.
• Several analysts have given Natera a "strong-buy" rating, with price targets reaching as high as $218.00, reflecting confidence in the company's growth prospects.

Vestcor Inc bought a new position in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 2,306 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $326,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of NTRA. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Natera by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 6,594 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,044,000 after buying an additional 1,396 shares during the last quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Natera during the 4th quarter worth about $312,000. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in shares of Natera in the 4th quarter valued at about $247,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in Natera by 69.3% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 96,136 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $15,218,000 after purchasing an additional 39,340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in Natera during the 4th quarter worth approximately $214,000. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on NTRA. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Natera from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 17th. Evercore ISI raised Natera to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $170.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, July 28th. UBS Group upped their price target on Natera from $211.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Natera from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Natera presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $183.76.

Natera Stock Up 2.1%

Natera stock traded up $2.95 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $141.08. 3,297,571 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,513,893. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.26 billion, a P/E ratio of -95.97 and a beta of 1.76. Natera, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $101.36 and a fifty-two week high of $183.00. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $156.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $155.31.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The medical research company reported ($0.74) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.60) by ($0.14). Natera had a negative net margin of 10.36% and a negative return on equity of 18.29%. Research analysts expect that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Gail Boxer Marcus sold 4,299 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.36, for a total transaction of $719,480.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 8,118 shares in the company, valued at $1,358,628.48. The trade was a 34.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 6,111 shares of Natera stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.10, for a total transaction of $960,038.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 179,071 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $28,132,054.10. The trade was a 3.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 60,239 shares of company stock worth $8,986,542. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

Natera Profile

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.