Rafferty Asset Management LLC Cuts Stake in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Rafferty Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 40.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 80,327 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 53,521 shares during the quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Natera worth $12,716,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in NTRA. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natera during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Natera by 104.3% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Natera by 372.9% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Natera by 20.7% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Natera by 1,328.0% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 357 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Natera Price Performance

Natera stock traded up $1.26 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $154.53. 879,370 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,385,285. Natera, Inc. has a one year low of $92.14 and a one year high of $183.00. The stock has a market cap of $21.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -87.80 and a beta of 1.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 4.23 and a current ratio of 4.39. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $148.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $157.17.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The medical research company reported ($0.50) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.59) by $0.09. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.01% and a negative return on equity of 26.23%. The company had revenue of $501.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $446.68 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.56) EPS. The firm's revenue was up 36.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on NTRA. StockNews.com lowered Natera from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Natera from $211.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Natera from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Natera from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a report on Friday, February 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $182.12.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 87,272 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.40, for a total value of $12,514,804.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 203,354 shares in the company, valued at $29,160,963.60. This trade represents a 30.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider John Fesko sold 343 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.55, for a total transaction of $49,923.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 156,946 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,843,490.30. The trade was a 0.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 152,436 shares of company stock valued at $22,019,079. Corporate insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

Natera Company Profile

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.