Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Reaches New 12-Month High Following Earnings Beat

Shares of Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $77.00 and last traded at $73.6150, with a volume of 441428 shares. The stock had previously closed at $70.36.

The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.78) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($2.69) by $0.91. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 456.53% and a negative net margin of 192.87%.The company had revenue of $21.81 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.44 million.

More Nektar Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — Nektar reported an adjusted loss per share of ($1.78) which was materially better than consensus (around ($2.69)/($2.76)), and revenue of $21.81M topped estimates (~$10.44M); these beats are the primary catalyst for the rally. Nektar Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor updates and cash position — Management held the Q4 call (transcript available) that investors should read for pipeline and commercialization commentary; cash & investments were $245.8M at year‑end (down from $269.1M), leaving runway and burn as items to watch. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Heightened litigation risk — Multiple class actions and securities‑fraud investigations were filed/announced by firms (Pomerantz, Rosen, Faruqi, Glancy, Bernstein, Robbins, etc.) alleging issues tied to disclosures from Feb 26, 2025–Dec 15, 2025; lead‑plaintiff deadlines (e.g., May 5, 2026) and potential claims could create legal costs, management distraction and downside risk to the stock despite the earnings beat. Pomerantz Class Action Notice

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on NKTR. HC Wainwright boosted their price target on Nektar Therapeutics from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $102.00 target price for the company. Finally, BTIG Research upped their price target on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $118.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $126.29.

Insider Transactions at Nektar Therapeutics

In other Nektar Therapeutics news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $30,879.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 75,489 shares in the company, valued at $5,510,697. This represents a 0.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.67, for a total transaction of $137,935.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,354 shares in the company, valued at approximately $761,697.18. This represents a 15.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,470 shares of company stock valued at $181,955. 5.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NKTR. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in 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 valued at $2,463,000 after purchasing an additional 2,807,595 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the first quarter worth $68,000. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 23.3% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 221,761 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $151,000 after acquiring an additional 41,948 shares during the last quarter. Stonepine Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,297,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $367,000. 75.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Nektar Therapeutics Trading Up 2.5%

The firm has a market cap of $1.47 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.05 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a 50-day moving average of $52.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $52.74.

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.