Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Shares Sold by Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC

Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC cut its position in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) by 5.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 229,365 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 13,260 shares during the period. Natera accounts for approximately 2.7% of Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC’s holdings in Natera were worth $36,308,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Berbice Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Natera during the 4th quarter worth approximately $174,000. Encompass More Asset Management grew its holdings in Natera by 45.6% during the 4th quarter. Encompass More Asset Management now owns 3,337 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $528,000 after buying an additional 1,045 shares during the last quarter. Donoghue Forlines LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the fourth quarter worth $2,024,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Natera by 222.8% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,412 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $540,000 after purchasing an additional 2,355 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wesbanco Bank Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Natera in the 4th quarter worth $317,000. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on NTRA shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Natera from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Craig Hallum lifted their target price on Natera from $121.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Natera from $132.00 to $176.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Natera from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Natera from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.94.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 1,196 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.21, for a total transaction of $141,379.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 110,695 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,085,255.95. This represents a 1.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Rowan E. Chapman sold 1,767 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.24, for a total transaction of $300,814.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 6,202 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,055,828.48. The trade was a 22.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 224,133 shares of company stock valued at $36,830,652 in the last quarter. Insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Natera Trading Up 0.3 %

Natera stock opened at $172.36 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $165.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.41. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $62.96 and a 12 month high of $183.00. The stock has a market cap of $22.76 billion, a P/E ratio of -97.63 and a beta of 1.65.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 12th. The medical research company reported ($0.26) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.57) by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $439.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $361.43 million. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.01% and a negative return on equity of 26.23%. Natera’s revenue for the quarter was up 63.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.95) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Natera, Inc. will post -1.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Natera Profile

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.