Insider Selling: Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) CEO Sells $526,143.63 in Stock

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) CEO Steven Chapman sold 1,273 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $413.31, for a total value of $526,143.63. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,926 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $40,060,485.06. The trade was a 1.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Steven Leonard Chapman also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, September 1st, Steven Chapman sold 1,698 shares of Natera stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.99, for a total transaction of $545,041.02.
• On Monday, August 3rd, Steven Chapman sold 3,076 shares of Natera stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $266.39, for a total transaction of $819,415.64.
• On Tuesday, July 28th, Steven Chapman sold 3,580 shares of Natera stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.07, for a total transaction of $909,570.60.
• On Monday, July 27th, Steven Chapman sold 2,190 shares of Natera stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.49, for a total transaction of $570,473.10.

Natera Trading Down 1.3%

NTRA opened at $395.56 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.02 billion, a P/E ratio of -290.85 and a beta of 1.50. Natera, Inc. has a 12 month low of $167.99 and a 12 month high of $437.41. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $341.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $265.84.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The medical research company reported ($0.47) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.49) by $0.02. Natera had a negative return on equity of 11.38% and a negative net margin of 7.11%.The firm had revenue of $752.75 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $661.24 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.74) EPS. The company’s revenue was up 37.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on NTRA. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Natera from $350.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Natera in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $375.00 price objective on shares of Natera in a report on Friday, August 7th. BTIG Research boosted their price objective on shares of Natera from $290.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Natera in a report on Friday, June 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $310.00 target price for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $353.45.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Natera by 4.6% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 815 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $337,000 after buying an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Natera by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 905 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG lifted its position in shares of Natera by 48.5% during the 2nd quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG now owns 150 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp lifted its position in shares of Natera by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 982 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $196,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Finally, Alamea Verwaltungs GmbH grew its holdings in shares of Natera by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Alamea Verwaltungs GmbH now owns 2,229 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $515,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Natera

Here are the key news stories impacting Natera this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Expanding Signatera clinical program: Natera and Alliance Foundation Trials announced AFT-70 NAVIGATE, a global randomized Phase III trial evaluating Genentech’s oral selective estrogen receptor degrader in breast cancer. Natera is providing its Signatera molecular residual disease (MRD) testing, potentially expanding the test’s role in treatment decisions. AFT-70 NAVIGATE trial article
• Positive Sentiment: New melanoma study begins: Natera announced a randomized, Signatera-guided interventional study in melanoma, while a separate study evaluating Signatera’s ability to identify skin cancer earlier began enrollment. Successful results could support broader adoption of the company’s oncology testing platform. Melanoma study article
• Positive Sentiment: Additional oncology evidence: New Signatera data presented at the ASTRO conference highlighted potential utility for radiation oncologists, adding to the evidence supporting clinical use of the test. ASTRO Signatera data article
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Guggenheim raised its NTRA price target to $475 from $360 and maintained a Buy rating, reinforcing bullish sentiment around Natera’s growth prospects. Guggenheim price target article
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong but demanding valuation: Natera’s latest reported revenue increased 37.7% year over year to $752.75 million and exceeded estimates, but the company remained unprofitable. The stock’s sharp rise toward its yearly high increases sensitivity to profit-taking and valuation concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking after record levels: NTRA declined after touching a new annual high, with the retreat described as a sizable one-session loss. The move suggests investors are locking in gains rather than reacting to a deterioration in the company’s clinical outlook. Natera price swing article
• Negative Sentiment: CEO stock sale: CEO Steven Chapman sold 1,273 shares worth approximately $526,000 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The sale was only 1.3% of his direct holdings, limiting its significance, but it may add to near-term selling pressure. Natera insider sale article

Natera Company Profile

Natera, Inc is a diagnostics company that develops and commercializes molecular testing services designed to assess genetic and disease-related risks. The company uses technologies including cell-free DNA analysis and next-generation sequencing to support clinical decision-making in reproductive health, oncology and organ transplantation.

Its reproductive health offerings include Panorama, a noninvasive prenatal test that screens for certain chromosomal conditions, and Horizon, a carrier screening test that evaluates whether prospective parents carry genetic variants associated with inherited disorders.