Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.91 EPS

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.78) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($2.69) by $0.91, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $21.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.44 million. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 456.53% and a negative net margin of 192.87%.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Down 4.1%

NKTR traded down $2.97 during trading on Thursday, hitting $70.36. 963,157 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,172,891. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.43 billion, a P/E ratio of -8.83 and a beta of 1.17. Nektar Therapeutics has a 1-year low of $6.45 and a 1-year high of $75.67. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $52.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $52.62.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on NKTR. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Nektar Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. William Blair upgraded Nektar Therapeutics from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. BTIG Research upped their price target on Nektar Therapeutics from $118.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, 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 report on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $126.29.

Key Headlines Impacting Nektar Therapeutics

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 / FY2025 results: Nektar reported cash & marketable securities of $245.8M at 12/31/25 vs. $269.1M a year earlier — a drop that highlights limited liquidity as the company advances programs but is not, by itself, catastrophic. Nektar Therapeutics Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Class action filed: A securities class action was filed in the N.D. California alleging misstatements between Feb 26, 2025 and Dec 15, 2025 — this creates potential future liability, discovery risk, management distraction and reputational damage. Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against Nektar Therapeutics, Inc. and Certain Officers – NKTR
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law‑firms and investigators are soliciting investors and opening probes (Glancy, Faruqi, Bernstein, Robbins, Rosen, Frank R. Cruz, etc.), amplifying sell pressure and signaling that litigation activity will continue. These notices often lead to lead‑plaintiff competition and increased litigation costs. Representative notices: Securities Fraud Investigation Into Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) Announced Securities Fraud Investigation Into Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) Announced – Frank R. Cruz
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing publicity about the litigation wave: several additional reminders and alerts from firms (Faruqi, Bernstein, Robbins, Rosen) keep the issue visible to retail and institutional holders and may prolong volatility. Examples: Pomerantz Law Firm Announcement Faruqi & Faruqi Reminder
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary: Analysts and media explain downward moves and link them to the filings and prior clinical disclosures (which investors are scrutinizing), reinforcing negative sentiment. Why Nektar Therapeutics’s (NKTR) Stock Is Down 8.32%

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the insider owned 21,354 shares in the company, valued at $761,697.18. This represents a 15.33% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 75,489 shares in the company, valued at $5,510,697. The trade was a 0.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,470 shares of company stock worth $181,955. Insiders own 5.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 336.9% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,640,851 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,463,000 after buying an additional 2,807,595 shares in the last quarter. Prosight Management LP purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $23,450,000. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics by 446.9% during the third 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 during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 106.3% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 468,159 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $19,794,000 after buying an additional 241,262 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 30.0% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 948,647 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $53,978,000 after buying an additional 219,155 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.