Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Canaccord Genuity Group Analyst Says

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) had its target price hoisted by research analysts at Canaccord Genuity Group from $150.00 to $165.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the medical research company’s stock. Canaccord Genuity Group’s target price suggests a potential upside of 9.19% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Natera from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $125.00 price target on shares of Natera in a report on Friday, August 9th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $150.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, September 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Natera from $120.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Natera currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $137.65.

Natera Price Performance

NASDAQ:NTRA opened at $151.11 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $126.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $115.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 4.01 and a current ratio of 4.39. Natera has a 12-month low of $52.01 and a 12-month high of $167.79.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The medical research company reported ($0.26) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.57) by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $439.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $361.43 million. Natera had a negative return on equity of 26.23% and a negative net margin of 14.01%. The company’s revenue was up 63.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.95) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Natera will post -1.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Rowan E. Chapman sold 2,614 shares of Natera stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.68, for a total transaction of $333,755.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 7,969 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,017,481.92. This trade represents a 24.70 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 1,866 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.45, for a total value of $235,955.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 68,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,706,208.95. The trade was a 2.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 29,881 shares of company stock worth $3,733,983. Corporate insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Natera by 34.3% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 372 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Natera by 32.7% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 430 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Natera by 3.3% during the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 3,477 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $441,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. RiverPark Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Natera by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. RiverPark Advisors LLC now owns 3,347 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $425,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Natera by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,646 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $336,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. 99.90% of the stock is 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.