Aubrey Capital Management Ltd Lowers Holdings in Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Key Points

• Aubrey Capital Management cut its Natera stake by 26.6% in the first quarter, selling 5,700 shares and leaving it with 15,700 shares valued at about $3.14 million.
• Natera insiders have been selling shares, including CEO Steven Leonard Chapman and Director Rowan E. Chapman, with insider sales totaling 178,872 shares worth about $39.6 million over the last quarter.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but constructive: Natera has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $267.83, while the stock recently traded at $272.66 near its 52-week high.

Aubrey Capital Management Ltd trimmed its stake in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 26.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,700 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 5,700 shares during the quarter. Natera accounts for 1.7% of Aubrey Capital Management Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Aubrey Capital Management Ltd's holdings in Natera were worth $3,141,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of NTRA. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its stake in Natera by 22.0% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 244 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its holdings in Natera by 20.0% in the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 270 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Natera by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. now owns 1,541 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $353,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Natera by 5.5% during the first quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 982 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $196,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH grew its holdings in shares of Natera by 3.1% during the third quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 1,804 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $290,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Natera

In other news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 41,124 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.03, for a total transaction of $9,089,637.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 108,743 shares of the company's stock, valued at $24,035,465.29. This represents a 27.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Rowan E. Chapman sold 2,964 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.78, for a total transaction of $642,535.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,124 shares in the company, valued at approximately $677,220.72. The trade was a 48.69% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 178,872 shares of company stock worth $39,627,696. 5.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Natera Stock Performance

NTRA stock opened at $272.66 on Wednesday. Natera, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $131.81 and a fifty-two week high of $288.04. The business's 50-day moving average is $230.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $219.50. The company has a market cap of $39.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -167.28 and a beta of 1.51.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Natera from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Natera from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Natera from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Natera in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Natera from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Natera currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $267.83.

Natera Profile

Natera is a global diagnostics company that develops and commercializes cell-free DNA and other genetic testing technologies for clinical applications. The company focuses on three principal areas: reproductive health (including non-invasive prenatal testing and carrier screening), oncology (tumor-informed assays for minimal residual disease and recurrence monitoring), and organ transplantation (cell-free DNA tests to detect allograft injury). Natera combines laboratory testing, proprietary bioinformatics, and clinical reporting to deliver personalized genetic information to clinicians and patients.

Key product offerings include Panorama, a non-invasive prenatal test that screens for fetal chromosomal abnormalities and select single-gene conditions; Horizon carrier screening for inherited conditions; Signatera, a personalized, tumor-informed assay used for detecting minimal residual disease and monitoring treatment response in cancer patients; and Prospera, a donor-derived cell-free DNA test used to assess the risk of organ rejection.

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