Nuveen LLC Invests $113.38 Million in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC acquired 801,744 shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) for approximately $113.4 million in the first quarter, increasing its ownership to 0.59% of the company.
• Natera's stock received positive analyst ratings, with target prices ranging from $195.00 to $255.00, with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $193.87.
• The company reported a quarterly revenue of $546.6 million, exceeding analysts' expectations, but posted a loss of ($0.74) earnings per share, which was lower than consensus estimates.

Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 801,744 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $113,375,000. Nuveen LLC owned approximately 0.59% of Natera at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Natera by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,393,827 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,752,611,000 after acquiring an additional 77,357 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Natera by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,361,963 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,041,055,000 after buying an additional 660,538 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in Natera by 134.9% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,742,428 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,067,327,000 after buying an additional 3,871,862 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Natera by 13.7% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,035,979 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $287,908,000 after buying an additional 245,719 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Castle Hook Partners LP lifted its position in shares of Natera by 7.2% during the fourth quarter. Castle Hook Partners LP now owns 1,222,578 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $193,534,000 after purchasing an additional 82,488 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on NTRA shares. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Natera from $251.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $183.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $210.00 price target (up previously from $190.00) on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $195.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research note on Sunday, August 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $193.19.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 3,045 shares of Natera stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.40, for a total transaction of $418,383.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 65,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,990,082. The trade was a 4.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider John Fesko sold 678 shares of Natera stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.46, for a total transaction of $105,401.88. Following the sale, the insider owned 152,747 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,746,048.62. This trade represents a 0.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 61,792 shares of company stock worth $9,227,972. 5.63% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Natera Stock Performance

Shares of Natera stock traded up $4.58 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $163.02. 1,502,326 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,693,905. The company has a market cap of $22.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -85.35 and a beta of 1.76. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $155.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $154.75. Natera, Inc. has a 52 week low of $110.57 and a 52 week high of $183.00.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The medical research company reported ($0.74) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.60) by ($0.14). The firm had revenue of $546.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $476.84 million. Natera had a negative return on equity of 22.22% and a negative net margin of 12.89%. The business's revenue was up 32.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.30) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current 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.