Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Put Options on Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock traders purchased 2,463 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 465% compared to the average daily volume of 436 put options.

Insider Activity at Natera

In other Natera news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 1,866 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.45, for a total transaction of $235,955.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 68,851 shares in the company, valued at $8,706,208.95. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Natera news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 1,196 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 110,695 shares in the company, valued at $13,085,255.95. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 1,866 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.45, for a total transaction of $235,955.70. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 68,851 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,706,208.95. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 47,464 shares of company stock worth $5,849,977. 7.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Natera

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of Natera by 1,073.1% during the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 65,730 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $7,118,000 after purchasing an additional 60,127 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of Natera by 15.1% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 74,460 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $6,810,000 after acquiring an additional 9,781 shares during the last quarter. Natixis bought a new position in shares of Natera during the first quarter worth about $758,000. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft bought a new position in shares of Natera during the second quarter worth about $478,000. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Natera during the first quarter worth about $707,000. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Natera Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:NTRA opened at $133.97 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -54.68 and a beta of 1.53. Natera has a 1-year low of $46.96 and a 1-year high of $140.00. The company’s fifty day moving average is $124.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $114.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 4.01 and a current ratio of 4.14.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on NTRA. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Natera from $137.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Leerink Partners boosted their target price on shares of Natera from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $125.00 target price on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, August 9th. BTIG Research boosted their target price on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Natera from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Natera presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $125.69.

Natera Company 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.