Barclays Cuts Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Price Target to $160.00

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) had its price target cut by analysts at Barclays from $200.00 to $160.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the medical research company’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 14.31% from the company’s current price.

NTRA has been the topic of several other reports. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Natera in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Natera from $170.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Natera from $176.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. One equities research 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, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $175.76.

Natera Trading Down 7.9 %

Natera stock traded down $12.00 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $139.97. 437,837 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,386,775. The company has a quick ratio of 4.23, a current ratio of 4.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Natera has a twelve month low of $83.13 and a twelve month high of $183.00. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $153.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $151.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.92 billion, a PE ratio of -79.64 and a beta of 1.80.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The medical research company reported ($0.41) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $476.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $447.91 million. Research analysts predict that Natera will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Natera

In related news, insider John Fesko sold 663 shares of Natera stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.77, for a total value of $117,861.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 156,044 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,739,941.88. This trade represents a 0.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 25,931 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total value of $4,277,837.07. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 109,665 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,091,435.05. This trade represents a 19.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 325,922 shares of company stock valued at $51,603,664. Insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of NTRA. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new position in Natera during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Natera by 104.3% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in Natera by 345.8% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 214 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Natera by 372.9% during the fourth 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. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Natera by 20.7% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.90% of the company’s stock.

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.