11,644 Shares in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Acquired by Banco BTG Pactual S.A.

Banco BTG Pactual S.A. bought a new position in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 11,644 shares of the medical research company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,870,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in NTRA. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in Natera by 104.3% in the fourth 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. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in Natera by 345.8% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 214 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 261 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. grew its stake 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 period. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in Natera during the third quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.90% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 25,931 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total value of $4,277,837.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 109,665 shares in the company, valued at $18,091,435.05. This trade represents a 19.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 78,553 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total transaction of $12,958,888.41. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 267,629 shares in the company, valued at $44,150,756.13. This represents a 22.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 306,797 shares of company stock worth $48,940,883 in the last 90 days. 7.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Natera Price Performance

Natera stock opened at $154.58 on Wednesday. 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 has a 50 day simple moving average of $160.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $150.56. Natera, Inc. has a 12 month low of $83.13 and a 12 month high of $183.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.90 billion, a PE ratio of -87.83 and a beta of 1.80.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last announced 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 company had revenue of $476.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $447.91 million. Equities analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on NTRA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Natera from $170.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Natera from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Barclays started coverage on Natera in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Natera from $176.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. One 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 target price of $178.12.

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.