Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Receives $133.43 Average Price Target from Analysts

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $136.4286.

A number of analysts have weighed in on NKTR shares. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, January 26th. TD Cowen began coverage on Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, December 29th.

Key Headlines Impacting Nektar Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target increases are supporting the stock — Citigroup raised its price target to $123 (buy) and TD Cowen initiated/maintained Buy ratings; H.C. Wainwright and others highlight Rezpeg clinical momentum and a healthy cash runway as bullish fundamentals. Analyst Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street consensus shows a large upside (Zacks reports ~77% average upside from current levels), which can attract momentum buying and institutional interest given recent positive clinical/financial cues. Zacks Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Procedural deadlines for plaintiffs are approaching (May 5, 2026) as multiple firms remind shareholders to seek lead-plaintiff status — this is administrative but important for the litigation timeline. Lead Plaintiff Deadline
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple class-action lawsuits have been filed alleging securities law violations covering Feb. 26, 2025–Dec. 15, 2025; Pomerantz has filed a suit and several national firms (Rosen, Schall, Bernstein Liebhard, Bronstein, Faruqi, etc.) are soliciting claims, creating a legal overhang and potential future liability or settlement risk. Pomerantz Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Numerous law-firm notices and local press pieces amplify investor awareness of the suits (increasing the chances of larger participation and media scrutiny), which can weigh on sentiment until litigation clarity emerges. AP / Local Coverage

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:NKTR opened at $75.06 on Friday. Nektar Therapeutics has a one year low of $6.45 and a one year high of $77.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.36 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $54.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.02.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.78) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($2.69) by $0.91. The firm had revenue of $21.81 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.44 million. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 386.16% and a negative net margin of 297.07%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Nektar Therapeutics will post -0.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Nektar Therapeutics

In other news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $30,879.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 75,489 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,510,697. This trade represents a 0.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of Nektar Therapeutics 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 sale, the insider directly owned 21,354 shares in the company, valued at approximately $761,697.18. The trade was a 15.33% 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 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 3.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the third quarter worth $13,269,000. Simplify Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics by 67.6% in the third quarter. Simplify Asset Management Inc. now owns 87,174 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $4,960,000 after acquiring an additional 35,176 shares during the period. Emerald Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth $18,393,000. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 62.3% during the 3rd quarter. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC now owns 73,716 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $4,194,000 after purchasing an additional 28,304 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Readystate Asset Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth $2,563,000. 75.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.