Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Shares Gap Up on Analyst Upgrade

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR)’s share price gapped up prior to trading on Monday after BTIG Research raised their price target on the stock from $151.00 to $178.00. The stock had previously closed at $84.86, but opened at $97.48. BTIG Research currently has a buy rating on the stock. Nektar Therapeutics shares last traded at $102.1710, with a volume of 1,630,036 shares traded.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective (up from $105.00) on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. TD Cowen began coverage on Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Nektar Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 11th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Nektar Therapeutics from $102.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Nektar Therapeutics currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $134.00.

Insider Transactions at Nektar Therapeutics

In other news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $5,510,697. This represents a 0.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 3.71% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Nektar Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: 52‑week topline results from the blinded 16‑week extension of REZOLVE‑AA showed increasing proportions achieving clinically meaningful SALT thresholds and a favorable safety profile, supporting advancement of rezpegaldesleukin into late‑stage development. PR Newswire: 52‑Week REZOLVE‑AA Results
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary and coverage push: Seeking Alpha pieces highlight bullish thesis and a “Strong Buy” view on REZPEG proof‑of‑concept and late‑stage plans, and Barron’s noted the trial results as the catalyst for the stock move. Seeking Alpha: Strong Buy on REZPEG Barron’s: Hair Loss Trial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price‑target increases (BTIG to $178, HC Wainwright to $185) add upside narrative and institutional validation of the clinical readout. Benzinga: Price Target Raises
• Neutral Sentiment: Nektar hosted a conference call and released slide/transcript material reviewing the 52‑week extension results — useful for due diligence on durability and safety but not new data beyond the topline release. Seeking Alpha: Slides/Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading was briefly halted pre‑market for “news pending,” a procedural event ahead of the company announcement that contributed to volatile early trading. (No article link.)
• Negative Sentiment: Nektar announced an underwritten public offering to raise $250M of common stock/pre‑funded warrants — a capital raise that could dilute existing shareholders and weigh on the stock despite funding future late‑stage development. PR Newswire: Proposed Public Offering
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms have filed/issued notices about securities‑class actions covering Feb 26–Dec 15, 2025, creating legal overhang and potential future liabilities or distraction for management. These filings are attracting plaintiff interest ahead of lead‑plaintiff deadlines. GlobeNewswire: Securities Fraud Lawsuit Notice

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 valued at $2,463,000 after buying an additional 2,807,595 shares during the period. BVF Inc. IL lifted its holdings in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 22.2% during the 4th quarter. BVF Inc. IL now owns 1,559,595 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $65,940,000 after buying an additional 283,000 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 30.0% during the 3rd 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 during the period. Farallon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter valued at $45,008,000. Finally, Two Seas Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at $31,506,000. 75.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $73.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.88 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.84 and a beta of 1.16.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.78) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($2.69) by $0.91. The firm had revenue of $21.81 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.44 million. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 380.32% and a negative net margin of 297.07%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Nektar Therapeutics will post -10.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.