Natera, Inc. $NTRA Shares Bought by Bank of New York Mellon Corp

Key Points

• Bank of New York Mellon increased its Natera stake by 2.6% in the first quarter, ending with 669,722 shares worth about $133.9 million and representing roughly 0.47% of the company.
• Insider selling has been notable, with CEO Steven Chapman and insider Solomon Moshkevich both selling shares under pre-arranged 10b5-1 plans; insiders sold 178,872 shares worth about $39.6 million over the past 90 days.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive: Natera has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $267.83, while Canaccord recently raised its target to $330 and kept a buy rating.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 2.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 669,722 shares of the medical research company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,791 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned about 0.47% of Natera worth $133,938,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new position in Natera during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Palladiem LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natera in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust grew its holdings in shares of Natera by 103.8% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 163 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in Natera by 132.9% during the first quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 170 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Natera during the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other Natera news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $272.90, for a total value of $818,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 134,643 shares of the company's stock, valued at $36,744,074.70. This trade represents a 2.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 41,124 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.03, for a total value of $9,089,637.72. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 108,743 shares in the company, valued at $24,035,465.29. This represents a 27.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 178,872 shares of company stock worth $39,627,696 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 5.05% of the company's stock.

Natera Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:NTRA opened at $271.39 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.87 billion, a PE ratio of -166.50 and a beta of 1.51. Natera, Inc. has a 1 year low of $131.81 and a 1 year high of $288.04. The firm's 50-day moving average is $233.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $220.33.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on shares of Natera from $285.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Natera in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an "outperform" rating and a $260.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Natera in a report on Friday, June 5th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $245.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Natera from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, William Blair started coverage on Natera in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. They issued an "outperform" rating on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $267.83.

About Natera

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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