NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC Takes Position in Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Key Points

• NorthCrest Asset Management LLC has acquired a new position in Natera, Inc. during the second quarter, purchasing 2,194 shares valued at approximately $355,000.
• Natera reported a revenue increase of 32.2% year-over-year, though it missed earnings per share estimates by $0.14.
• Institutional investors own 99.90% of Natera's stock, indicating strong institutional confidence in the company.

NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC bought a new stake in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 2,194 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $355,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of NTRA. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in Natera during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its stake in shares of Natera by 117.8% in the 1st 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 in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Natera in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. TCTC Holdings LLC raised its stake in shares of Natera by 114.8% in the 1st 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Natera by 83.5% in the 1st quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 233 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $210.00 price objective (up previously from $190.00) on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Natera in a research note on Monday. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Evercore ISI upgraded shares of Natera to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $170.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $183.00 price objective on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, August 15th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $220.00 price objective (up previously from $210.00) on shares of Natera in a research note on Monday, August 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $192.88.

Natera Stock Down 1.1%

NASDAQ:NTRA traded down $1.92 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $179.19. 1,414,145 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,453,667. Natera, Inc. has a 12 month low of $117.27 and a 12 month high of $183.00. The company has a fifty day moving average of $156.80 and a 200 day moving average of $155.19. The stock has a market cap of $24.59 billion, a PE ratio of -93.82 and a beta of 1.68.

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). Natera had a negative return on equity of 22.22% and a negative net margin of 12.89%.The company had revenue of $546.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $476.84 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.30) EPS. The firm's revenue was up 32.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Natera has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.62, for a total value of $499,860.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 120,859 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $20,137,526.58. This trade represents a 2.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider John Fesko sold 678 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.46, for a total transaction of $105,401.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 152,747 shares in the company, valued at $23,746,048.62. This trade represents a 0.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 56,423 shares of company stock worth $8,459,656. 5.63% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Natera

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.