Natera, Inc. $NTRA Shares Sold by Comerica Bank

Key Points

• Comerica Bank cut its stake in Natera by 81.5% in Q4, selling 109,455 shares and leaving it with 24,800 shares valued at $5.68 million.
• Natera posted an upside quarter—EPS $0.35 (vs. -$0.46 est.) and revenue $665.5M (vs. $600.7M est.)—sending the stock up 5.9% and supporting a consensus analyst view of a “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $253.47.
• Despite institutional accumulation (99.9% ownership), insiders have been net sellers recently—selling 138,069 shares (~$30.9M) over the last quarter—which could add short-term supply/volatility risk.

Comerica Bank reduced its holdings in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 81.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 24,800 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 109,455 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank's holdings in Natera were worth $5,681,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Horizon Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Natera in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Natera in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Natera in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in 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 acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. acquired a new stake in Natera in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $62,000. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Natera Stock Up 5.9%

Shares of NASDAQ NTRA opened at $206.16 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -134.75 and a beta of 1.68. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $202.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $213.75. Natera, Inc. has a 52-week low of $131.81 and a 52-week high of $256.36.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The medical research company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.46) by $0.81. The business had revenue of $665.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $600.68 million. Natera had a negative return on equity of 15.28% and a negative net margin of 9.03%.During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.41) EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Natera, Inc. will post -1.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on NTRA shares. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup started coverage on Natera in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $300.00 target price on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Natera from $265.00 to $250.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Natera from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $253.47.

Key Stories Impacting Natera

Here are the key news stories impacting Natera this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company fundamentals and analyst support: Natera reported an upside quarter in late February (revenue and EPS above consensus) and many firms maintain buy/overweight ratings and lofty price targets, which provide a bullish backdrop if execution holds. Should You Be Bullish on Natera?
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional accumulation: recent filings show major funds (e.g., Coatue, Wellington) added material positions in recent quarters, which can support the stock and limit downside after headline-driven dips. Quiver Quant: Natera shares slide
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider sales mostly executed under pre‑arranged 10b5‑1 plans to cover tax withholding on vested awards — routine for tech/biotech compensation but often interpreted by markets as incremental supply. Example: multiple Form 4 filings, including sales by CFO Michael Brophy and others. InsiderTrades: Insider Selling Apr 30
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term de‑risking ahead of May 7 earnings and supply/overhang concerns: market commentary points to position‑sizing into the print, a recent downgrade to “hold” in some summaries, and multiple Form 144/insider sale disclosures — all of which have pressured sentiment and increased short‑term volatility. Quiver Quant: Natera shares slide

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 3,000 shares of Natera stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.85, for a total value of $599,550.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 150,023 shares in the company, valued at $29,982,096.55. The trade was a 1.96% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 6,939 shares of Natera stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.83, for a total value of $1,580,912.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 52,120 shares in the company, valued at $11,874,499.60. The trade was a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 138,069 shares of company stock valued at $30,896,634. Insiders own 5.63% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.