Catalio Capital Management LP Decreases Stock Position in Natera, Inc. $NTRA

Catalio Capital Management LP lessened its stake in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) by 58.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 62,273 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 86,096 shares during the quarter. Natera makes up approximately 2.6% of Catalio Capital Management LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Catalio Capital Management LP’s holdings in Natera were worth $14,266,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cinctive Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Natera during the 4th quarter valued at $1,107,000. American Trust purchased a new stake in Natera in the fourth quarter worth $296,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec increased its stake in Natera by 176.7% in the fourth quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 36,361 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $8,330,000 after purchasing an additional 23,218 shares during the period. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Natera in the fourth quarter worth $492,000. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Natera by 8.3% in the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,599,299 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $595,473,000 after purchasing an additional 199,234 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.90% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Natera

In related news, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 41,124 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.03, for a total transaction of $9,089,637.72. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 108,743 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,035,465.29. This trade represents a 27.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Rowan E. Chapman sold 2,964 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $216.78, for a total value of $642,535.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 3,124 shares in the company, valued at approximately $677,220.72. The trade was a 48.69% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 162,342 shares of company stock valued at $35,283,396 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 5.05% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on NTRA. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $270.00 target price on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Natera from $260.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Natera in a research note on Friday, June 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $245.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Natera from $265.00 to $250.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, BTIG Research reduced their target price on Natera from $260.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Natera presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $256.53.

Natera Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of Natera stock opened at $226.44 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $32.43 billion, a P/E ratio of -138.92 and a beta of 1.56. Natera, Inc. has a 12 month low of $131.81 and a 12 month high of $256.36. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $207.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $215.50.

Natera Company 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.