Bank of America Corp DE Lowers Stake in Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Key Points

• Bank of America reduced its Natera stake by 16.2% in the first quarter, selling 141,704 shares and retaining 733,669 shares valued at approximately $146.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 99.9% of Natera.
• Natera insiders sold shares worth about $41.3 million over the past 90 days, including recent CEO and executive sales conducted under pre-arranged 10b5-1 plans to cover tax obligations.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with Natera receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $267.83. The company also filed for Japanese approval of its Signatera bladder-cancer test, potentially expanding its international market.

Bank of America Corp DE lowered its holdings in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 16.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 733,669 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 141,704 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE owned approximately 0.51% of Natera worth $146,726,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in Natera during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Palladiem LLC bought a new position in shares of Natera during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Horizon Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Natera in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Natera by 132.9% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 170 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Jackson Hole Trust boosted its stake in Natera by 103.8% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 163 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.90% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Natera

In other news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 3,076 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.39, for a total transaction of $819,415.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 99,897 shares of the company's stock, valued at $26,611,561.83. This represents a 2.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 3,410 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.58, for a total value of $905,627.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 129,019 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,264,866.02. This trade represents a 2.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 181,045 shares of company stock worth $41,330,968. Company insiders own 5.05% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NTRA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Natera from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group set a $260.00 target price on shares of Natera in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. BTIG Research set a $275.00 target price on shares of Natera and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. William Blair assumed coverage on shares of Natera in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Natera from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Natera presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $267.83.

Natera Stock Down 0.2%

NTRA opened at $274.58 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -168.45 and a beta of 1.51. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $251.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $222.85. Natera, Inc. has a twelve month low of $135.75 and a twelve month high of $288.04.

Natera News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Natera this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Natera filed with Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) for approval of its Signatera test for bladder cancer. Approval would expand the addressable market for the company’s molecular residual disease testing and could support additional international revenue growth. Natera Files for Japan PMDA Approval of Signatera Test in Bladder Cancer
• Neutral Sentiment: Natera reported sales by CEO Steven Leonard Chapman, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy, and executives Solomon Moshkevich and John Fesko totaling approximately 7,576 shares and $2.02 million. Each sale was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and was made to cover tax withholding obligations from vested equity awards. The executives retained substantial positions, reducing the significance of the transactions as a signal of weakening confidence.

About Natera

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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