KBC Group NV Has $3.85 Million Position in Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Key Points

• KBC Group NV reduced its Natera stake by 41.9% in the first quarter, selling 13,866 shares and ending with 19,252 shares valued at about $3.85 million.
• Natera’s stock has been strong, recently trading at $264.69 with a market cap of $37.91 billion and a 52-week range of $131.81 to $288.04.
• Insiders have been selling shares, including directors Gail Boxer Marcus and Rowan E. Chapman, while analysts still maintain a Moderate Buy consensus with a $267.83 average price target.

KBC Group NV lessened its holdings in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 41.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 19,252 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 13,866 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in Natera were worth $3,850,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Natera Price Performance

NTRA stock opened at $264.69 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -162.39 and a beta of 1.51. The company has a 50-day moving average of $239.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $221.33. Natera, Inc. has a 52-week low of $131.81 and a 52-week high of $288.04.

Insider Transactions at Natera

In other Natera news, Director Gail Boxer Marcus sold 11,000 shares of Natera stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.21, for a total value of $2,389,310.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 6,183 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,343,009.43. The trade was a 64.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Rowan E. Chapman sold 2,964 shares of the company'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 value of $642,535.92. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,124 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $677,220.72. This trade represents a 48.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 178,872 shares of company stock worth $39,627,696. Insiders own 5.05% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. William Blair started coverage on Natera in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered Natera from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Barclays cut their price objective on Natera from $280.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Natera in a report on Friday, June 5th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $245.00 target price for the company. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Natera in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Natera presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $267.83.

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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