Natera Shares Downgraded to Sell by StockNews.com

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) has received a rating downgrade from StockNews.com, moving from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating, according to a recent report released on Monday.

Additional Analyst Ratings on Natera

Alongside the downgrade from StockNews.com, several other financial research firms have recently provided insights and ratings on Natera. For instance, on November 13, TD Cowen increased their price target for Natera from $155.00 to $175.00 while maintaining a "buy" rating. Similarly, Guggenheim raised its price target from $170.00 to $200.00, also assigning a "buy" rating on January 17. Furthermore, Craig Hallum adjusted their price objective from $121.00 to $157.00 with a "buy" rating in another note issued on the same day as TD Cowen. Barclays started coverage on Natera on January 23, setting an "overweight" rating and a price target of $200.00. Alongside these, Piper Sandler increased their price target for Natera from $150.00 to $200.00 and maintained an "overweight" rating as of November 18. In total, one analyst has a "sell" rating, while sixteen analysts encourage a "buy" stance, leading to an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus target price set at $172.69.

Natera's Stock Performance

As of mid-day trading on Monday, shares of Natera experienced a decline of $12.48, reaching a price of $143.11. The trading volume was reported at 2,862,669 shares against an average volume of 1,314,816 shares. Natera boasts a market capitalization of approximately $18.89 billion, and it has a price-to-earnings ratio of -81.31. The company's current ratio is at 4.39, with a quick ratio of 4.23, and a manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Over the past year, Natera's stock has fluctuated between a low of $83.13 and a high of $183.00, closing with a fifty-day moving average of $167.44 and a two-hundred-day moving average of $147.35.

Earnings Report Insights

Natera's most recent earnings report was released on February 27, where the company announced earnings per share (EPS) of ($0.41). This surpassed analysts' expectations, which were set at ($0.42) by a narrow margin of $0.01. The company's revenue for the quarter amounted to $476.10 million, considerably higher than the projected $447.91 million. The company exhibits a negative return on equity of 26.23% and a negative net margin of 14.01%. Analysts project that Natera is expected to report an EPS of -1.49 for the current fiscal year.

Insider Trading Activity

In recent insider trading, John Fesko, an insider at Natera, sold 663 shares of the stock on February 6 for an average price of $177.77, totaling $117,861.51. Following this sale, he now holds 156,044 shares valued at approximately $27.74 million. This transaction reflects a 0.42% reduction in his position. In another transaction, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 78,553 shares on January 22 at an average price of $164.97, equating to $12.96 million. After this sale, he retains 267,629 shares valued at around $44.15 million, indicating a 22.69% decrease in his holdings. The insider sales in the past three months have totaled 208,299 shares, worth about $34.95 million, with insiders owning approximately 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investor Movements

Recent adjustments among institutional investors regarding their positions in Natera are noteworthy. For instance, Principal Securities Inc. increased its stake by 20.7% in the fourth quarter, now holding 344 shares worth about $54,000 following the acquisition of an additional 59 shares. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC raised its holdings by 1.7%, owning 3,629 shares valued at $574,000 after purchasing 61 additional shares. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated also increased its holdings by 3.1%. Covestor Ltd grew its stake by 34.3%, owning 372 shares worth $47,000 after buying 95 shares recently. Colonial Trust Co SC raised its ownership by 7.8% in the fourth quarter, now holding 1,325 shares valued at $210,000. Currently, institutional investors and hedge funds own approximately 99.90% of Natera's stock.

About Natera

Natera, Inc. is a diagnostics company that specializes in developing and commercializing molecular testing services internationally. Their key products include Panorama, a non-invasive prenatal test, Horizon carrier screening, and Spectrum preimplantation genetic tests for IVF, among others. Their diverse range of services focuses on genetic testing to improve patient outcomes in various health scenarios.

Natera, Stocks, Investing