Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Price Target Raised to $188.00 at Robert W. Baird

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) had its target price boosted by Robert W. Baird from $183.00 to $188.00 in a report published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the medical research company’s stock.

NTRA has been the subject of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Natera from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Natera from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Natera from $132.00 to $176.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Natera from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Natera presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $172.69.

Natera Price Performance

NTRA opened at $155.59 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.54 billion, a PE ratio of -88.40 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 4.39 and a quick ratio of 4.23. The business’s 50-day moving average is $167.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $146.67. Natera has a 1 year low of $83.13 and a 1 year high of $183.00.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The medical research company reported ($0.41) earnings per share (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. Research analysts anticipate that Natera will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Natera

In other news, insider John Fesko sold 663 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.77, for a total value of $117,861.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 156,044 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,739,941.88. The trade was a 0.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 43,502 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.88, for a total value of $7,694,633.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 70,629 shares in the company, valued at $12,492,857.52. The trade was a 38.12 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 295,772 shares of company stock worth $49,741,699 over the last three months. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new position in Natera in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew 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 acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Natera by 345.8% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 214 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in Natera by 34.3% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 372 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Natera by 372.9% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares in the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.