Zacks Research Brokers Boost Earnings Estimates for NKTR

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) – Zacks Research boosted their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Nektar Therapeutics in a note issued to investors on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings of ($2.70) per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of ($2.92). The consensus estimate for Nektar Therapeutics’ current full-year earnings is ($0.72) per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nektar Therapeutics’ Q4 2026 earnings at ($4.13) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($11.98) EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at ($3.18) EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at ($3.23) EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at ($3.46) EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($5.48) EPS and FY2027 earnings at ($15.35) EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on NKTR. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $102.00 price target for the company. BTIG Research increased their price target on Nektar Therapeutics from $118.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Nektar Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, November 16th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $119.86.

Nektar Therapeutics Trading Up 51.1%

NKTR stock opened at $56.00 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $43.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $45.96. Nektar Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $6.45 and a 12 month high of $66.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.03 and a beta of 1.34.

Insider Transactions at Nektar Therapeutics

In other Nektar Therapeutics news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 2,207 shares of Nektar Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.28, for a total transaction of $119,795.96. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 54,245 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,944,418.60. The trade was a 3.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Mark Andrew Wilson sold 630 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.28, for a total value of $34,196.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 21,585 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,171,633.80. This represents a 2.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,861 shares of company stock worth $354,730. Company insiders own 3.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NKTR. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 336.9% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,640,851 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,463,000 after acquiring an additional 2,807,595 shares in the last quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics during the third quarter worth about $45,008,000. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 446.9% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 434,237 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $24,708,000 after purchasing an additional 354,842 shares in the last quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Nektar Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter valued at about $18,393,000. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $17,252,000. Institutional investors own 75.88% of the company’s stock.

Key Nektar Therapeutics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Nektar Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Phase 2b maintenance data show durable and new responses across key endpoints (EASI‑75, vIGA‑AD 0/1, increases in EASI‑100) for both monthly and quarterly dosing, supporting advancement to pivotal Phase 3 and validating the Treg mechanism — the core driver for the stock move. PR Newswire Release
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary and headlines highlight the data as beating expectations and creating significant upside scenarios (some Wall Street notes cite up to ~200% upside), amplifying buying momentum and media attention. MSN Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Company conference‑call/transcript coverage provides management commentary on 36‑week maintenance outcomes and plans, giving investors more visibility into the clinical path and timelines for a Phase 3 program. Seeking Alpha Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment turned bullish: BTIG and HC Wainwright raised price targets substantially and William Blair upgraded to outperform — these upgrades increase institutional interest and provide fresh coverage supporting the rally. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity (large call buying) and multiple premarket/momentum headlines signaled speculative & directional interest, often accelerating intraday moves. Tokenist
• Neutral Sentiment: Broad media coverage (Yahoo/Investing/MarketWatch/press release notifications) is amplifying awareness of the readout and potential Phase 3 plans; useful for liquidity and retail interest but not new clinical data. Yahoo Finance
• Negative Sentiment: Nektar launched a proposed $300M underwritten public offering of common stock (and pre‑funded warrants), which creates dilution risk; timing/size of the raise is a near‑term negative that could cap upside after the data-driven run. PR Newswire Offering Notice

About Nektar Therapeutics

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing novel drug candidates through its proprietary chemistry and immunology platforms. The company focuses on polymer conjugate technology, which enables the creation of longer-acting versions of existing drugs, and on T-cell modulatory therapies aimed at harnessing the body’s immune system to treat cancer and other serious diseases.

Nektar’s product portfolio and pipeline include a range of clinical-stage and partnered programs.