Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Reaches New 12-Month High – What’s Next?

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $67.94 and last traded at $66.2620, with a volume of 4260131 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $56.00.

Nektar Therapeutics News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive clinical readout (REZOLVE‑AD) triggered the surge: investors reacted to published 36‑week maintenance data for rezpegaldesleukin in atopic dermatitis, which investors view as materially de‑risking the program and drove rapid buying interest. Forbes: Can NKTR Stock Sustain Its 1,000% Rally?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets amplified momentum — firms raised targets and reiterated Buy ratings after the data, signaling increased sell‑side conviction and drawing more institutional interest. Analyst Upgrade / Price Target Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high trading volume followed the upgrade and data release, reflecting both retail and institutional flows; higher volume supports price moves but also increases volatility risk. DefenseWorld: Unusually High Trading Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst model changes — some firms raised price targets (e.g., to $151/$165) while certain long‑range EPS estimates were revised down, indicating upbeat commercial expectations but recognition of longer‑term spending and modeling uncertainty. Price Target Raises / Estimate Changes
• Negative Sentiment: Large equity offering introduces dilution and likely pressured intraday selling: Nektar priced an upsized $400M offering and subsequently closed an offering totaling about $460M (including underwriter exercise), which increases share supply despite providing cash to fund development. MSN: Nektar Therapeutics Prices $400M Stock Offering PR Newswire: Closing of $460M Offering
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction to the offering included an immediate pullback in some sessions as investors weighed dilution vs. runway extension; expect heightened volatility while the market digests both the clinical news and the new share supply. Investing.com: Stock Falls After $400M Offering

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NKTR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. HC Wainwright boosted their price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Nektar Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. Finally, William Blair raised Nektar Therapeutics from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Eight 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, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $119.86.

Nektar Therapeutics Trading Up 0.5%

The company has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.95 and a beta of 1.34. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $44.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.60.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.67, for a total value of $137,935.89. Following the transaction, the insider owned 21,354 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $761,697.18. This represents a 15.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Mark Andrew Wilson sold 630 shares of Nektar Therapeutics stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.28, for a total value of $34,196.40. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 21,585 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,171,633.80. The trade was a 2.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,861 shares of company stock valued at $354,730. 5.25% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 336.9% during the first 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 during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in Nektar Therapeutics in the 1st quarter valued at about $68,000. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 23.3% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 221,761 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $151,000 after purchasing an additional 41,948 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc bought a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the second quarter worth approximately $124,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the second quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 75.88% of the company’s stock.

Nektar Therapeutics Company Profile

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.