Natera Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) shares are up on Tuesday as the company announced promising results from a prospective study regarding its Signatera molecular residual disease (MRD) test.



 • Natera stock is showing exceptional strength. What’s fueling NTRA momentum?



<h2>Signatera Study: MRD-Negative Patients Skip Surgery</h2>



The study published in Clinical Cancer Research shows that Signatera was able to identify older women with early-stage ER+/HER2- breast cancer who can be managed with primary endocrine therapy (PET), without surgery.



PET remains a non-surgical option for select early breast cancer patients, though risk stratification and monitoring tools have been limited.



<h2>Signatera Identifies Patients Who May Avoid Surgery</h2>



The prospective study evaluated 43 women aged over 70 years with stage 1–3 ER+/HER2- breast cancer who opted for PET over surgery. 



Patients underwent Signatera testing at baseline and every three to six months, alongside standard imaging and clinical assessments.



Sixty-eight percent (23/34) were MRD-negative pre-treatment, with zero disease progression observed (100% negative predictive value).



<h2>Patients Show Clearance With Therapy</h2>



Of 11 baseline MRD-positive patients, 64% (7/11) cleared ctDNA within six months of PET. All remained free of distant progression; one case of locoregional progression was detected by Signatera ahead of imaging.



All five patients who experienced tumor progression were MRD-positive before radiographic detection, indicating 100% longitudinal sensitivity.



Over 80% of patients reported that Signatera informed treatment decisions without increasing anxiety.



Signatera demonstrated strong predictive accuracy and early-detection capability in a PET setting, supporting its potential utility for non-surgical breast cancer management and longitudinal monitoring.



<h2>NTRA 11.5% Below 100-Day SMA</h2>



Natera is currently trading 1.3% below its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 11.5% below its 100-day SMA, indicating some short-term weakness.



However, shares have increased 37.56% over the past 12 months and are positioned closer to their 52-week highs than lows, reflecting a strong longer-term trend.



The RSI is at 39.27, which is considered neutral territory, suggesting that the stock is neither overbought nor oversold. Meanwhile, the MACD is at -5.4736, below its signal line at -5.1704, indicating bearish pressure on the stock.



The combination of neutral RSI and bearish MACD suggests mixed momentum, indicating that traders should watch for potential shifts in momentum.



<ul>
<li>Key Resistance: $204.50</li>



<li>Key Support: $194</li>
</ul>



Analyst Consensus &amp; Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy Rating with an average price target of $248.06. Recent analyst moves include:



<ul>
<li>Morgan Stanley: Overweight (Lowers target to $250 on March 3)</li>



<li>Wells Fargo: Equal-Weight (Raises target to $215 on Feb. 27)</li>



<li>Evercore ISI Group: Outperform (Raises target to $260 on Feb. 27)</li>
</ul>



<h2>Natera Benzinga Edge: Momentum Score 70.71</h2>



Below is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for Natera, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:



<ul>
<li>Momentum: Strong (Score: 70.71) — Stock is outperforming the broader market.</li>
</ul>



The Verdict: Natera’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a momentum-driven story, indicating strong performance in the current market environment.



NTRA Stock Price Activity: Natera shares were up 5.26% at $196.68 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.



Image via Shutterstock

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NTRA

Natera Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) shares rose 5.26% following positive results from a study on its Signatera MRD test, indicating that older breast cancer patients may avoid surgery through primary endocrine therapy. The study showed 68% of patients were MRD-negative pre-treatment, with no disease progression observed. Analysts maintain a bullish outlook, with a Buy Rating and an average price target of $248.06. Despite some short-term weakness, Natera's stock has increased 37.56% over the past year, reflecting a strong long-term trend.

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Natera's Signatera Data Suggests Select Breast Cancer Patients Could Skip Surgery