Credit Agricole S A Boosts Stake in Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Key Points

• Credit Agricole S A increased its stake in Natera, Inc. by 60% during Q1, owning approximately 35,079 shares valued at $4.96 million.
• Analysts have varied opinions on Natera, with some recently cutting ratings while others increased price targets, leading to an average target of $193.19 and a consensus rating of Buy.
• Recent insider transactions included CEO Steven Leonard Chapman selling 5,807 shares worth over $771,634, representing a decrease in ownership by 3.43%.

Credit Agricole S A increased its position in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 60.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,079 shares of the medical research company's stock after buying an additional 13,159 shares during the period. Credit Agricole S A's holdings in Natera were worth $4,961,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in NTRA. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in Natera in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Natera in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Natera by 117.8% during the 1st quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 220 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natera in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, TCTC Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Natera by 114.8% during the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 232 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Natera Price Performance

NTRA stock traded up $3.74 on Thursday, reaching $166.78. 202,543 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,496,610. The company has a market cap of $22.89 billion, a P/E ratio of -87.27 and a beta of 1.76. Natera, Inc. has a one year low of $110.57 and a one year high of $183.00. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $154.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $154.08.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The medical research company reported ($0.74) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.60) by ($0.14). The firm had revenue of $546.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $476.84 million. Natera had a negative net margin of 12.89% and a negative return on equity of 22.22%. The firm's revenue was up 32.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.30) EPS. Natera has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Natera from $211.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $183.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, August 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Natera from $251.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $220.00 target price (up from $210.00) on shares of Natera in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Natera to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $170.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, July 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and seventeen have issued a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $193.19.

Insider Transactions at Natera

In related news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.07, for a total transaction of $471,210.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 133,205 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,922,509.35. This trade represents a 2.20% 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, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 3,045 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.40, for a total value of $418,383.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 65,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,990,082. This trade represents a 4.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 58,705 shares of company stock worth $8,743,776. 5.63% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Natera 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.