Barclays Issues Positive Forecast for Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Stock Price

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) had its price target increased by Barclays from $210.00 to $230.00 in a research report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the medical research company’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on NTRA. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Natera to a “hold” rating and set a $172.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, October 27th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $183.00 price objective on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, August 15th. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Natera in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Natera from $190.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane raised Natera from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $172.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $206.74.

Natera Stock Up 0.5%

NTRA traded up $1.09 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $199.57. 2,707,168 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,247,989. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.39 billion, a P/E ratio of -87.15 and a beta of 1.75. Natera has a 1-year low of $125.38 and a 1-year high of $203.23. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $177.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $163.67.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The medical research company reported ($0.64) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.39) by ($0.25). The company had revenue of $592.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $514.55 million. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.61% and a negative return on equity of 25.20%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 34.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.26) EPS. Natera has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Natera will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Natera

In other Natera news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 2,491 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $403,666.55. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 69,189 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,212,077.45. This represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Rowan E. Chapman sold 2,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.99, for a total value of $459,222.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 6,015 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,004,444.85. This trade represents a 31.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 224,889 shares of company stock worth $43,232,062 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 5.63% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of NTRA. NewEdge Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Natera during the 3rd quarter valued at $372,000. Essex Financial Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Natera during the third quarter valued at about $210,000. Readystate Asset Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Natera during the third quarter valued at about $12,742,000. Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC increased its position in shares of Natera by 6.8% during the third quarter. Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC now owns 132,500 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $21,329,000 after acquiring an additional 8,400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP raised its holdings in shares of Natera by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 14,820 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $2,386,000 after acquiring an additional 1,515 shares during the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.