Russell Investments Group Ltd. Trims Position in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its stake in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 21.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 31,175 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 8,390 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.'s holdings in Natera were worth $4,935,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of NTRA. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Natera by 104.3% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Natera by 345.8% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 214 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Natera by 372.9% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. grew its holdings in Natera by 20.7% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Natera by 1,328.0% in 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 currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Natera Price Performance

Natera stock traded down $2.09 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $148.08. The company's stock had a trading volume of 602,609 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,390,412. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.02 billion, a PE ratio of -84.14 and a beta of 1.80. Natera, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $83.13 and a fifty-two week high of $183.00. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $150.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $152.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 4.23 and a current ratio of 4.39.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The medical research company reported ($0.41) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.42) by $0.01. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.01% and a negative return on equity of 26.23%. The firm had revenue of $476.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $447.91 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 25,931 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total transaction of $4,277,837.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 109,665 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,091,435.05. This trade represents a 19.12 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 78,553 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total value of $12,958,888.41. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 267,629 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,150,756.13. The trade was a 22.69 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 325,922 shares of company stock valued at $51,603,664. 7.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on NTRA. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Natera from $170.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. StockNews.com raised shares of Natera from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada began coverage on Natera in a report on Thursday, March 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $251.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Natera presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $175.76.

Natera 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.