Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Price Target Raised to $151.00

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) had its target price raised by BTIG Research from $118.00 to $151.00 in a report issued on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on NKTR. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $102.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Nektar Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 16th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, HC Wainwright raised their price objective on Nektar Therapeutics from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $119.86.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Up 7.0%

NKTR opened at $71.00 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $43.79 and a 200 day moving average of $46.27. The stock has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a P/E ratio of -8.91 and a beta of 1.34. Nektar Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $6.45 and a 52-week high of $72.31.

Insider Activity at Nektar Therapeutics

In other Nektar Therapeutics news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 2,207 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.28, for a total transaction of $119,795.96. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 54,245 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,944,418.60. This trade represents a 3.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Mark Andrew Wilson sold 630 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,171,633.80. This trade represents a 2.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 7,861 shares of company stock valued at $354,730 over the last ninety days. 5.25% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Nektar Therapeutics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 336.9% in 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 purchasing an additional 2,807,595 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics by 30.0% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 948,647 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $53,978,000 after purchasing an additional 219,155 shares during the period. Farallon Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $45,008,000. Two Seas Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,506,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP raised its stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 446.9% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 434,237 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $24,708,000 after buying an additional 354,842 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.88% of the company’s stock.

Nektar Therapeutics News Summary

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

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.