Capital Fund Management S.A. Buys 41,307 Shares of Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Capital Fund Management S.A. lifted its stake in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) by 59.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 110,870 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 41,307 shares during the period. Capital Fund Management S.A. owned 0.08% of Natera worth $17,847,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of NTRA. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in Natera by 95.7% during the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 225 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natera in the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. Hilltop National Bank raised its position in shares of Natera by 59.8% during the third quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 310 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Natera by 256.8% during the second quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 314 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Natera during the third quarter valued at $69,000. Institutional investors own 99.90% of the company’s stock.

Natera Stock Performance

Shares of NTRA opened at $196.61 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $221.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $206.07. Natera, Inc. has a 52-week low of $125.38 and a 52-week high of $256.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.87 billion, a PE ratio of -128.50 and a beta of 1.65.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The medical research company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.46) by $0.81. Natera had a negative net margin of 9.03% and a negative return on equity of 15.28%. The firm had revenue of $665.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $600.68 million. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.41) EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on NTRA shares. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Natera in a report on Monday, January 12th. Citigroup started coverage on Natera in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a “buy” rating and a $300.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Natera from $218.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Natera from $265.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, BTIG Research boosted their price target on shares of Natera from $230.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Natera has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.47.

Insider Activity at Natera

In related news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 5,623 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.13, for a total transaction of $1,147,822.99. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 156,607 shares in the company, valued at $31,968,186.91. This trade represents a 3.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 785 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.13, for a total transaction of $160,242.05. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 63,354 shares in the company, valued at $12,932,452.02. This represents a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 371,333 shares of company stock worth $86,162,243 over the last three months. 5.63% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Natera Profile

Natera is a global diagnostics company that develops and commercializes cell-free DNA and other genetic testing technologies for clinical applications. The company focuses on three principal areas: reproductive health (including non-invasive prenatal testing and carrier screening), oncology (tumor-informed assays for minimal residual disease and recurrence monitoring), and organ transplantation (cell-free DNA tests to detect allograft injury). Natera combines laboratory testing, proprietary bioinformatics, and clinical reporting to deliver personalized genetic information to clinicians and patients.

Key product offerings include Panorama, a non-invasive prenatal test that screens for fetal chromosomal abnormalities and select single-gene conditions; Horizon carrier screening for inherited conditions; Signatera, a personalized, tumor-informed assay used for detecting minimal residual disease and monitoring treatment response in cancer patients; and Prospera, a donor-derived cell-free DNA test used to assess the risk of organ rejection.