Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.44 EPS

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.63) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($2.07) by $0.44, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $9.39 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.27 million. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 287.84% and a negative return on equity of 37.87%.

Here are the key takeaways from Nektar Therapeutics’ conference call:

• Nektar has started all three Phase III atopic dermatitis studies and expects to begin its approximately 850-patient alopecia areata study in December. The company expects initial atopic dermatitis results in summer 2028 and alopecia areata data in 2029, with a goal of filing an atopic dermatitis BLA by the end of 2029.
• Management highlighted Phase II findings it says support REZPEG’s potential for durable responses and a distinct Treg-based mechanism, including biomarker changes associated with later clinical improvement. Results from a 52-week off-treatment follow-up in atopic dermatitis are expected in the first quarter of 2027; these findings remain early-stage evidence, not proof of long-term benefit.
• Nektar plans to expand REZPEG development into vitiligo with a roughly 30-patient proof-of-concept study, with data anticipated in late 2027 or early 2028. The company also said a TrialNet-sponsored Phase II type 1 diabetes study is ongoing, with initial cohort data expected in late 2027 or early 2028.
• Nektar ended the quarter with approximately $953 million in cash and investments and no debt, and expects more than $840 million at year-end. It reported a third-quarter net loss of about $56 million and forecast full-year R&D expense of $185 million to $200 million, reflecting increased clinical and manufacturing activity.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of Nektar Therapeutics stock traded up $0.02 on Friday, hitting $37.27. The stock had a trading volume of 250,632 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,060,344. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $49.26 and a 200 day moving average of $64.54. Nektar Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $33.40 and a twelve month high of $109.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.27 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.57 and a beta of 1.44.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Nektar Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $178.00 target price on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, August 21st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $65.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Friday, October 9th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group began coverage on Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $153.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $130.67.

Latest Nektar Therapeutics News

Investors following NKTR have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: Nektar reported $952.9 million in cash and marketable securities at September 30, and said it had started all three Phase 3 ZENITH AD trials of rezpegaldesleukin. It expects to begin the ZENITH AA trial in December. Third-quarter results and business update
• Positive Sentiment: The quarterly loss was $1.63 per share, narrower than analysts’ estimates of roughly $2.07–$2.16 per share. Q3 earnings and outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue of $9.4 million missed analysts’ $10.27 million estimate and declined from $11.8 million a year earlier. Net loss widened to $55.7 million from $35.5 million, while R&D spending increased as the Phase 3 program advanced. Quarterly results and pipeline update

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Nektar Therapeutics news, CEO Howard Robin sold 418 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.98, for a total transaction of $30,087.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 54,627 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,932,051.46. The trade was a 0.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Nektar Therapeutics Company Profile

Nektar Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in San Francisco, California. It discovers and develops medicines, with a current focus on treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Its lead investigational program, rezpegaldesleukin (REZPEG), is designed to stimulate regulatory T cells, which help regulate immune responses. Nektar is studying the candidate in clinical trials for immune-mediated conditions; it is not an approved medicine. Founded in 1990 as Inhale Therapeutic Systems, the company later adopted the Nektar name as it expanded its drug-development work.