Korea Investment CORP Buys Shares of 40,003 Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Key Points

• Korea Investment CORP acquired over 40,000 shares of Natera, Inc. for approximately $5.7 million during the first quarter, reflecting growing institutional interest in the company.
• Natera reported a quarterly EPS of ($0.74), missing estimates, but saw a 32.2% year-over-year increase in revenue, amounting to $546.6 million.
• Analysts have varying ratings on Natera, with one downgrading it to "sell" while others, including UBS Group, set target prices upwards of $218.00, indicating potential for growth.

Korea Investment CORP bought a new position in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 40,003 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $5,657,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in Natera during the first quarter valued at $29,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its position in Natera by 117.8% during the first quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 220 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in Natera during the first quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, TCTC Holdings LLC raised its position in Natera by 114.8% during the first quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 232 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Natera Stock Performance

Shares of NTRA traded down $2.07 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $163.64. 452,600 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,502,650. The company has a market cap of $22.46 billion, a PE ratio of -85.57 and a beta of 1.76. The firm's 50 day moving average is $154.70 and its 200-day moving average is $154.02. Natera, Inc. has a 52 week low of $110.57 and a 52 week high of $183.00.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last issued 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 company had revenue of $546.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $476.84 million. Natera had a negative net margin of 12.89% and a negative return on equity of 22.22%. The business's revenue was up 32.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.30) EPS. Natera has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group upped their price target on Natera from $211.00 to $218.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $183.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, August 15th. 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. Wall Street Zen lowered Natera from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $195.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research report on Sunday, August 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and seventeen have given a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $193.19.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Gail Boxer Marcus sold 4,299 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.36, for a total transaction of $719,480.64. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,118 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,358,628.48. This represents a 34.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 3,045 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.40, for a total value of $418,383.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 65,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,990,082. This represents a 4.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 58,705 shares of company stock worth $8,743,776. Insiders own 5.63% of the company's stock.

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.