Q1 EPS Forecast for Nektar Therapeutics Boosted by Analyst

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) – Research analysts at HC Wainwright boosted their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report issued on Tuesday, March 17th. HC Wainwright analyst A. He now expects that the biopharmaceutical company will earn ($1.51) per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of ($2.05). HC Wainwright has a “Buy” rating and a $165.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Nektar Therapeutics’ current full-year earnings is ($0.72) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Nektar Therapeutics’ Q2 2026 earnings at ($1.82) EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at ($2.55) EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($3.41) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($9.30) EPS, FY2027 earnings at ($11.69) EPS, FY2028 earnings at ($12.22) EPS, FY2029 earnings at ($8.23) EPS and FY2030 earnings at ($0.09) EPS.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Citigroup lifted their price target on Nektar Therapeutics from $102.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. BTIG Research boosted their price target on Nektar Therapeutics from $118.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, William Blair raised Nektar Therapeutics from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $136.43.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Performance

NASDAQ NKTR opened at $73.18 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a PE ratio of -7.18 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $55.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $54.16. Nektar Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $6.45 and a 52-week high of $77.00.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.78) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($2.69) by $0.91. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 297.07% and a negative return on equity of 386.16%. The business had revenue of $21.81 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.44 million.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 93.8% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 434 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its stake in Nektar Therapeutics by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 90,743 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $3,837,000 after acquiring an additional 743 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its stake in Nektar Therapeutics by 51.3% in the 4th quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 2,541 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $107,000 after acquiring an additional 862 shares during the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC lifted its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 70.6% during the 3rd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 2,602 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $148,000 after acquiring an additional 1,077 shares during the period. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd lifted its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 22.0% during the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 7,196 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $304,000 after acquiring an additional 1,299 shares during the period. 75.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Nektar Therapeutics news, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.67, for a total transaction of $137,935.89. Following the sale, the insider owned 21,354 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $761,697.18. The trade was a 15.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was 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 approximately $5,510,697. This represents a 0.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 4,470 shares of company stock valued at $181,955 over the last quarter. 5.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Nektar Therapeutics News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen initiated coverage with a Buy rating, highlighting upside potential and driving renewed institutional interest. TD Cowen initiates coverage of Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) with buy recommendation
• Positive Sentiment: Other analysts (Citigroup, H.C. Wainwright, TipRanks summaries) have issued bullish takes or reiterated Buy ratings, citing Rezpeg clinical momentum and a strong cash runway that support upside for indications like atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata. Nektar Therapeutics Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/fundamental context: NKTR has recently posted an earnings beat (revenue above consensus) and maintains a sizable cash runway, which underpins bullish analyst views even as the name remains volatile versus its 12‑month range.
• Negative Sentiment: A broad wave of class-action filings and law‑firm solicitations allege securities fraud tied to statements about patient enrollment/compliance in the REZOLVE‑AA program; multiple firms (Pomerantz, Levi & Korsinsky, Faruqi & Faruqi, Rosen, Glancy, etc.) have filed or are seeking plaintiffs and remind investors of a May 5, 2026 lead‑plaintiff deadline — this legal overhang is the main near‑term downside catalyst. Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against Nektar Therapeutics Levi & Korsinsky investor alert on alleged enrollment issues

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.