Hsbc Holdings PLC Increases Stock Holdings in Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Key Points

• Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in Natera, Inc. by 47.8% in the first quarter, owning approximately $25.8 million worth of shares after acquiring an additional 59,125 shares during that period.
• Multiple institutional investors are actively investing in Natera, with 99.90% of its stock owned by hedge funds and other institutions, indicating high institutional interest.
• Analysts are optimistic about Natera, with several firms raising their price targets and many assigning a "Buy" rating, reflecting a strong belief in the company's growth potential.

Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its position in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 47.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 182,718 shares of the medical research company's stock after acquiring an additional 59,125 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned about 0.14% of Natera worth $25,801,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Natera by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,393,827 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $1,752,611,000 after acquiring an additional 77,357 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Natera by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,361,963 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,041,055,000 after purchasing an additional 660,538 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Natera by 13.7% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,035,979 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $287,908,000 after purchasing an additional 245,719 shares in the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC raised its position in Natera by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 1,521,300 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $215,127,000 after purchasing an additional 80,865 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Castle Hook Partners LP raised its position in Natera by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Castle Hook Partners LP now owns 1,222,578 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $193,534,000 after purchasing an additional 82,488 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $220.00 price target (up previously from $210.00) on shares of Natera in a research report on Monday, August 11th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $183.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, August 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered Natera from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 17th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $195.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research report on Sunday, August 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised Natera to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $170.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Natera presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $193.19.

Natera Price Performance

Shares of NTRA traded up $3.67 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $166.71. The company's stock had a trading volume of 202,543 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,496,610. Natera, Inc. has a 12-month low of $110.57 and a 12-month high of $183.00. The stock has a market cap of $22.88 billion, a PE ratio of -87.27 and a beta of 1.76. The company's 50 day moving average is $154.54 and its 200 day moving average is $154.08.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last released 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). Natera had a negative net margin of 12.89% and a negative return on equity of 22.22%. The business had revenue of $546.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $476.84 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.30) EPS. The company's revenue was up 32.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Natera has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Natera

In related news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 3,045 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.40, for a total transaction of $418,383.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 65,430 shares in the company, valued at $8,990,082. This trade represents a 4.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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 value of $471,210.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 133,205 shares in the company, valued at $20,922,509.35. This represents a 2.20% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 58,705 shares of company stock worth $8,743,776. 5.63% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.