Natera Q1 Loss Widens As Higher Operating Costs Offset Revenue Growth

(RTTNews) - Genetic testing company Natera Inc. (NTRA) on Thursday said its first-quarter loss widened from last year, as higher operating expenses more than offset strong revenue growth.

Net loss widened to $85.04 million, or $0.60 per share, from a net loss of $66.79 million, or $0.50 per share, in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue surged 38.8% to $696.64 million from $501.83 million last year, driven by higher testing volumes and improved average selling prices.

The company processed approximately 1.01 million tests during the quarter, up 18.5% year-over-year, while oncology test volumes jumped 54.4% to about 258,900 tests.

Gross margin for the period improved to 64.7% from 63.1%. However, total operating expenses climbed 36.0% to $538.6 million, reflecting headcount growth tied to new product offerings as well as higher clinical trial expenses.

Looking ahead, the company raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $2.74 billion to $2.82 billion from its prior outlook of $2.62 billion to $2.70 billion, citing continued strong adoption across its testing portfolio.

"We had an outstanding first quarter, reaching over one million units processed in a single quarter for the first time and delivering strong growth across all areas," said Steve Chapman, chief executive officer of Natera. "We are seeing the impact of strong 2025 data readouts and innovation translating into increased adoption, particularly for Signatera and Fetal Focus, reinforcing our confidence in the long-term opportunity to transform patient care."