Chicago Capital LLC Purchases 12,805 Shares of Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Key Points

• Chicago Capital LLC increased its stake in Natera by 565.1% in Q4, adding 12,805 shares to reach 15,071 shares valued at about $3.45 million per its Form 13F filing.
• Insiders have been net sellers recently — CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 785 shares and John Fesko sold 707 shares on March 10 at roughly $204.13, and insiders have sold a total of 314,545 shares worth $73.14 million in the last 90 days (insiders own 5.63%).
• Natera beat Q4 expectations with EPS $0.35 (vs. consensus -$0.46) and revenue $665.5M (vs. $600.7M), though the company remains unprofitable; analysts assign a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average price target of $253.47.

Chicago Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 565.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,071 shares of the medical research company's stock after acquiring an additional 12,805 shares during the period. Chicago Capital LLC's holdings in Natera were worth $3,453,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC raised its stake in shares of Natera by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 270 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Natera by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Savvy Advisors Inc. now owns 1,541 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $353,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. BOKF NA raised its stake in shares of Natera by 1.9% during the third quarter. BOKF NA now owns 3,733 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $601,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Silvant Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Natera by 0.5% during the third quarter. Silvant Capital Management LLC now owns 13,488 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $2,171,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Natera

In other Natera news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 785 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.13, for a total value of $160,242.05. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 63,354 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,932,452.02. This represents a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider John Fesko sold 707 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.13, for a total transaction of $144,319.91. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 189,199 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,621,191.87. This trade represents a 0.37% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 314,545 shares of company stock worth $73,141,185 in the last ninety days. 5.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Natera Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ NTRA opened at $208.40 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.54 billion, a P/E ratio of -136.21 and a beta of 1.68. Natera, Inc. has a 1 year low of $131.81 and a 1 year high of $256.36. The company's 50-day moving average is $203.35 and its 200 day moving average is $211.47.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The medical research company reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.46) by $0.81. The business had revenue of $665.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $600.68 million. Natera had a negative net margin of 9.03% and a negative return on equity of 15.28%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.41) earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on NTRA shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Natera from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 1st. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Natera in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a "buy" rating and a $300.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Natera from $265.00 to $250.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Monday, January 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Natera presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $253.47.

Natera Company 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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