Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.91 EPS

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

Nektar Therapeutics Trading Down 4.1%

Nektar Therapeutics stock traded down $2.97 during trading on Thursday, hitting $70.36. The company had a trading volume of 963,157 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,172,891. The stock has a market cap of $1.43 billion, a price-to-earnings 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 company’s 50 day simple moving average is $52.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $52.62.

Insider Buying and Selling at Nektar Therapeutics

In other news, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.67, for a total transaction of $137,935.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,354 shares in the company, valued at $761,697.18. This trade represents a 15.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the business’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 $5,510,697. This represents a 0.56% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,470 shares of company stock valued at $181,955. Company insiders own 5.25% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Nektar Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $584,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics by 106.3% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 468,159 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $19,794,000 after buying an additional 241,262 shares in the last quarter. Creek Drive Management Group LLC purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $7,843,000. KVP Capital Advisors LP purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,137,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd grew its stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 22.0% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 7,196 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $304,000 after acquiring an additional 1,299 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.88% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NKTR has been the subject of several analyst reports. HC Wainwright increased their price target on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price target on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, BTIG Research upped their price target on Nektar Therapeutics from $118.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $126.29.

Trending Headlines about 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%

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.