Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Sees Large Volume Increase After Analyst Upgrade

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday after HC Wainwright raised their price target on the stock from $135.00 to $165.00. HC Wainwright currently has a buy rating on the stock. Approximately 1,406,664 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 44% from the previous session’s volume of 976,724 shares.The stock last traded at $64.2950 and had previously closed at $56.00.

Several other brokerages have also commented on NKTR. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered Nektar Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 16th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price target on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, January 26th. 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 note on Tuesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Nektar Therapeutics has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $119.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 2,207 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.28, for a total transaction of $119,795.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 54,245 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,944,418.60. The trade was a 3.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Mark Andrew Wilson sold 630 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.28, for a total transaction of $34,196.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 21,585 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,171,633.80. This represents a 2.84% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 7,861 shares of company stock valued at $354,730 over the last quarter. Insiders own 5.25% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Nektar Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive Phase 2b maintenance data for rezpegaldesleukin drove strong investor enthusiasm and was the primary catalyst for the recent rally; analysts are calling the results durable and market-moving. Nektar Stock Surges On Rezpegaldesleukin Phase 2b Maintenance Data: What It Means
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its price target to $165 and reiterated a Buy, boosting sentiment and helping spark heavier trading. Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume Following Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other boutiques raised some near-term model assumptions/quarterly estimates after the data, which supports the view of improved near-term outlook for key skin & immunology programs. Nektar (NKTR) Soars 51.1%: Is Further Upside Left in the Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares gapped up and trading volume spiked as momentum traders and funds repositioned; volume surge signals heightened interest but also greater volatility. Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Shares Gap Up Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader media coverage (MSN, Benzinga, TipRanks) amplified the story and brought more retail/institutional attention — a flow dynamic rather than a fundamental change. Nektar Therapeutics stock pops on $300M equity offering
• Negative Sentiment: Nektar priced an upsized $400M public offering (6.6M common shares + pre-funded warrants) — provides cash runway but increases share count and created short-term selling pressure. Nektar Therapeutics Announces Pricing of Upsized $400 Million Public Offering
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction to the offering included a pullback in some sessions and commentary noting the dilution; one report explicitly linked the offering to a stock drop. Nektar Therapeutics stock falls after $400 million public offering
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright also revised longer-term EPS forecasts materially lower for FY2028–29 in its modeling despite the price-target raise, highlighting increased uncertainty around multi-year profitability assumptions. NASDAQ: NKTR Marketbeat

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Nektar Therapeutics by 93.8% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 434 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Nektar Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in Nektar Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at $65,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 1st quarter worth about $68,000. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Nektar Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter valued at $88,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.88% of the company’s stock.

Nektar Therapeutics Price Performance

The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $43.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.27. The company has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a P/E ratio of -8.91 and a beta of 1.34.

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.