NTRA vs. WAT: Natera vs. Waters Stock Comparison
How do Natera (NTRA) and Waters (WAT) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Natera (NTRA) and Waters (WAT) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but NTRA is classified in Biotechnology while WAT is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
| Profile Item | NTRA | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Natera, Inc. | Waters Corporation |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 45.05 billion USD | 44.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 1, 2015 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | NTRA | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 61.03% | 27.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 92.02% | 23.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 23.20% | 6.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | NTRA | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 52.30% | 35.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.58 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -75.72% | -36.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.68M | 816.72K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | NTRA | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.09 | 0.66 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.63 | 0.98 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Natera (NTRA) reports a negative ROE of -10.55%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Waters (WAT) reports 1.12%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-10.55%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- NTRA
- -10.55%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.12%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- WAT
- 1.12%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Natera (NTRA) reports a negative net margin of -5.66%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Waters (WAT) reports 1.76%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-5.66%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- NTRA
- -5.66%
- Min
- -17.05%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.76%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- WAT
- 1.76%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Natera (NTRA) reports a negative operating margin of -7.64%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Waters (WAT) reports 11.38%, ranking against industry peers normally.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-7.64%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- NTRA
- -7.64%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
11.38%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- WAT
- 11.38%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | NTRA | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -10.55% | 1.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | -6.79% | 2.36% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -5.66% | 1.76% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -7.64% | 11.38% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 65.14% | 49.83% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Natera (NTRA) at 35.90% and Waters (WAT) at 6.99% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Waters (WAT) reports EPS growth of 0.47%, ranked against its industry; Natera (NTRA) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | NTRA | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 35.90% | 6.99% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 41.14% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 0.47% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -2.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Natera (NTRA) shows current ratio of 2.81 against its industry benchmark, while Waters (WAT) has no reading this period.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.81
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- NTRA
- 2.81
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
- WAT
- --
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Natera (NTRA) at 0.13 and Waters (WAT) at 0.34 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.13
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- NTRA
- 0.13
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.34
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- WAT
- 0.34
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | NTRA | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.81 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.13 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | 3.23 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Natera (NTRA) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- NTRA
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- WAT
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Natera (NTRA) nor Waters (WAT) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- NTRA
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- WAT
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | NTRA | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Waters (WAT) trades at 191.46 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Natera (NTRA) has no P/E ratio this period.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
- NTRA
- --
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
191.46
- WAT
- 191.46
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Natera (NTRA) at 15.49 and Waters (WAT) at 8.01 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
15.49
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- NTRA
- 15.49
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
8.01
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- WAT
- 8.01
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Waters (WAT) at 2.94 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Natera (NTRA) at 23.99 prices above its benchmark range — NTRA looks rich relative to book.
NTRA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
23.99
- NTRA
- 23.99
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.94
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- WAT
- 2.94
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | NTRA | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 191.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 15.49 | 8.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 23.99 | 2.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.19% | -- |