Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. Increases Stock Position in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. boosted its stake in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) by 10.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 740,837 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 69,455 shares during the quarter. Natera comprises approximately 1.3% of Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. owned 0.56% of Natera worth $117,274,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake 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 in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in Natera by 345.8% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Natera by 372.9% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its stake in Natera by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in Natera in the 3rd quarter worth $57,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.90% of the company’s stock.

Natera Trading Up 4.0 %

NASDAQ:NTRA opened at $148.22 on Monday. Natera, Inc. has a 52 week low of $83.13 and a 52 week high of $183.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $163.70 and a 200 day moving average of $148.83. The company has a quick ratio of 4.23, a current ratio of 4.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -84.22 and a beta of 1.80.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The medical research company reported ($0.41) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.42) by $0.01. The business had revenue of $476.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $447.91 million. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.01% and a negative return on equity of 26.23%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 78,553 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total transaction of $12,958,888.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 267,629 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $44,150,756.13. This trade represents a 22.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Gail Boxer Marcus sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.69, for a total transaction of $590,760.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,704 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,433,183.76. This trade represents a 29.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 298,946 shares of company stock valued at $47,803,462. Insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NTRA has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Natera from $176.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natera from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 target price on shares of Natera in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Natera currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $178.12.

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.