Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Takes Position in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 47,754 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $6,753,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Natera during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Natera by 117.8% in the first quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 220 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natera during the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Natera by 372.9% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares during the period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.90% of the company's stock.

Natera Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ NTRA traded down $0.81 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $159.91. The company's stock had a trading volume of 621,231 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,420,056. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $159.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $158.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.84 billion, a P/E ratio of -108.58 and a beta of 1.73. Natera, Inc. has a 1-year low of $92.14 and a 1-year high of $183.00.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The medical research company reported ($0.50) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.59) by $0.09. Natera had a negative net margin of 10.36% and a negative return on equity of 18.29%. The company had revenue of $501.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $446.68 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.56) EPS. Natera's revenue was up 36.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Natera news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 2,018 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.18, for a total value of $307,099.24. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 73,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,191,165.02. This represents a 2.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Gail Boxer Marcus sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.61, for a total transaction of $606,440.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 9,704 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,471,223.44. This trade represents a 29.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 40,630 shares of company stock valued at $6,235,808. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on NTRA. Wall Street Zen downgraded Natera from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 17th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Natera from $176.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Natera in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $251.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Natera from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $184.63.

Natera Company 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.