Insider Selling: Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) CEO Sells $30,879.00 in Stock

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) CEO Howard Robin sold 423 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $30,879.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 75,489 shares in the company, valued at $5,510,697. This trade represents a 0.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Performance

NKTR stock opened at $73.73 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $45.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $48.72. Nektar Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $6.45 and a fifty-two week high of $74.89. The firm has a market cap of $1.50 billion, a PE ratio of -9.25 and a beta of 1.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NKTR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. HC Wainwright lifted their target price on Nektar Therapeutics from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. BTIG Research raised their price target on Nektar Therapeutics from $118.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, William Blair upgraded shares of Nektar Therapeutics from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Nektar Therapeutics has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $119.86.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 93.8% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 434 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the second quarter worth $39,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at $88,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 1,741.2% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,565 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $90,000 after purchasing an additional 1,480 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth about $96,000. 75.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Nektar Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple multi‑quarter and full‑year EPS projections (FY2026 and FY2027 were revised to smaller losses), indicating improved analyst expectations for Nektar’s future results — a generally constructive signal for the stock. MarketBeat NKTR
• Positive Sentiment: Nektar announced research collaboration with UCSF to test a TNFR2‑agonist/antibody approach in multiple sclerosis — a meaningful pipeline development that could add long‑term value if clinical data are positive. MSNewsToday: UCSF, Nektar team BioWorld: TNFR2 agonism in MS
• Neutral Sentiment: An AAII piece compared Nektar to another biotech (Harmony Biosciences) as an investment choice — useful context for longer‑term investors but unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. AAII comparison article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut near‑term quarter estimates for Q2 2026 (and separately trimmed Q2 2027), signaling some expected near‑term pressure to results that can weigh on sentiment. MarketBeat NKTR

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.