Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Shares Gap Up on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $135.12, but opened at $155.56. Natera shares last traded at $163.45, with a volume of 653,463 shares changing hands.

The medical research company reported ($0.26) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.57) by $0.31. The company had revenue of $439.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $361.43 million. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.01% and a negative return on equity of 26.88%. Natera’s revenue was up 63.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.95) EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NTRA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on shares of Natera from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. BTIG Research increased their target price on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Natera from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Natera currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.06.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 1,196 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.21, for a total transaction of $141,379.16. Following the sale, the insider now owns 110,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,085,255.95. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 5,024 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.48, for a total value of $645,483.52. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 195,686 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,141,737.28. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 1,196 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.21, for a total transaction of $141,379.16. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 110,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,085,255.95. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 29,881 shares of company stock worth $3,733,983. 7.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Natera by 1,073.1% in the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 65,730 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $7,118,000 after buying an additional 60,127 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in Natera by 15.1% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 74,460 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $6,810,000 after purchasing an additional 9,781 shares in the last quarter. Natixis acquired a new stake in Natera in the 1st quarter worth approximately $758,000. Chartwell Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in Natera by 37.9% in the 3rd quarter. Chartwell Investment Partners LLC now owns 41,302 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $5,243,000 after purchasing an additional 11,362 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft acquired a new stake in Natera in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $478,000. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Natera Stock Up 19.1 %

The business’s 50 day moving average is $126.04 and its 200 day moving average is $114.84. The company has a market capitalization of $19.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -91.46 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 4.01 and a current ratio of 4.14.

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.