Natera, Inc. $NTRA Shares Acquired by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management increased its Natera stake by 314.4% in the second quarter, reaching 250,869 shares valued at approximately $68.1 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 99.9% of Natera’s stock.
• Natera reported strong quarterly momentum: revenue rose 37.7% year over year to $752.8 million, exceeding expectations, while its loss narrowed to $0.47 per share from $0.74 a year earlier.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $299.65, although Natera remains unprofitable and its elevated valuation could increase the risk of profit-taking.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 314.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 250,869 shares of the medical research company's stock after buying an additional 190,334 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.18% of Natera worth $68,098,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new position in Natera in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Palladiem LLC purchased a new position in Natera during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust lifted its stake in shares of Natera by 103.8% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 163 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Natera by 132.9% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 170 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Natera in the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on NTRA shares. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, June 26th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $310.00 price target on the stock. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Natera in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $260.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research lowered Natera from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. BTIG Research boosted their target price on Natera from $290.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Natera from $315.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Natera currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $299.65.

Natera Stock Performance

NTRA stock opened at $322.10 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $254.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $223.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -236.84 and a beta of 1.51. Natera, Inc. has a one year low of $149.38 and a one year high of $323.01.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The medical research company reported ($0.47) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.49) by $0.02. Natera had a negative net margin of 7.11% and a negative return on equity of 11.82%. The business had revenue of $752.75 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $661.24 million. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.74) earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 37.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Natera

In related news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 3,076 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $266.39, for a total transaction of $819,415.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 99,897 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,611,561.83. This represents a 2.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider John Fesko sold 295 shares of Natera stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $267.99, for a total transaction of $79,057.05. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 183,774 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,249,594.26. This trade represents a 0.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 181,045 shares of company stock valued at $41,330,968. Insiders own 5.05% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Natera

Here are the key news stories impacting Natera this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue significantly exceeded expectations. Natera generated $752.8 million in second-quarter revenue, up 37.7% year over year and well above the $661.2 million analyst consensus. Gross margin also improved to 64.5% from 63.4% a year earlier. Natera Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The quarterly loss narrowed. Natera reported a loss of $0.47 per share, compared with a $0.74-per-share loss in the prior-year quarter, and better than the $0.49 loss expected by analysts. The result suggests continued operating improvement despite the company remaining unprofitable. Natera Reports Q2 Loss and Beats Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook to approximately $2.9 billion, above the roughly $2.8 billion consensus estimate. The higher guidance points to sustained momentum across Natera’s reproductive health, oncology, and transplant-testing businesses.
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on NTRA from $315 to $360 and maintained an “overweight” rating, signaling that the bank sees additional upside after the earnings beat. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Natera submitted its Signatera bladder-cancer test to Japan’s PMDA for approval as a companion diagnostic. Clearance could expand the company’s international oncology market and create another source of long-term growth. Natera Submits Signatera to Japan’s PMDA
• Neutral Sentiment: Several executives sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards. Because the sales were relatively small compared with their remaining holdings and were not discretionary open-market disposals, they provide limited negative information.
• Negative Sentiment: Natera remains unprofitable, and its very high valuation leaves the shares vulnerable to profit-taking if growth slows or future results fail to exceed elevated expectations. Commentary identifying NTRA as entering a potential profit-taking zone highlights this near-term risk. IBD 50 Stock Natera Profit-Taking Zone

Natera 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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