Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Reaches New 1-Year High After Earnings Beat

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $108.32 and last traded at $106.83, with a volume of 857351 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $95.55.

The medical research company reported ($0.56) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.72) by $0.16. Natera had a negative net margin of 40.16% and a negative return on equity of 62.19%. The firm had revenue of $367.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $316.31 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($1.23) earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 52.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Natera from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Natera from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 15th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Natera from $70.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Natera from $123.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Craig Hallum began coverage on Natera in a research note on Monday, April 8th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $117.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $95.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Natera

In other Natera news, Director Herm Rosenman sold 93,901 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.37, for a total transaction of $6,513,912.37. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 61,685 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,279,088.45. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Natera news, insider Daniel Rabinowitz sold 35,307 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.09, for a total transaction of $2,651,202.63. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 204,218 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,334,729.62. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Herm Rosenman sold 93,901 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.37, for a total value of $6,513,912.37. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 61,685 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,279,088.45. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 380,750 shares of company stock valued at $31,864,820 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natera

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Natera in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $83,970,000. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Natera by 115.7% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,654,303 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $73,203,000 after buying an additional 887,409 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Natera by 52.0% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,529,496 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $111,930,000 after buying an additional 865,404 shares during the period. Perceptive Advisors LLC grew its stake in Natera by 289.7% in the fourth quarter. Perceptive Advisors LLC now owns 850,225 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $53,258,000 after purchasing an additional 632,047 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Natera by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,971,895 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $687,280,000 after purchasing an additional 588,147 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.90% of the company's stock.

Natera Stock Up 10.2 %

The company has a quick ratio of 3.96, a current ratio of 4.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $92.32 and a 200 day moving average of $71.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -27.78 and a beta of 1.38.

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.