HC Wainwright Has Negative Outlook for NKTR FY2028 Earnings

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) – Research analysts at HC Wainwright reduced their FY2028 earnings per share estimates for Nektar Therapeutics in a report issued on Tuesday, February 10th. HC Wainwright analyst A. He now expects that the biopharmaceutical company will earn ($11.28) per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of ($9.93). HC Wainwright has a “Buy” rating and a $165.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Nektar Therapeutics’ current full-year earnings is ($0.72) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Nektar Therapeutics’ FY2029 earnings at ($10.83) EPS and FY2030 earnings at ($1.48) EPS.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on NKTR. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Nektar Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. Finally, BTIG Research lifted 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. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $119.86.

Nektar Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ NKTR opened at $71.33 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $44.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $46.60. Nektar Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $6.45 and a 12 month high of $73.37. The company has a market capitalization of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.95 and a beta of 1.34.

Institutional Trading of Nektar Therapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics by 93.8% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 434 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Nektar Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Nektar Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $65,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 1st quarter worth approximately $68,000. Finally, Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $85,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.88% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Nektar Therapeutics

In other Nektar Therapeutics 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 value of $119,795.96. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of the company’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 transaction, the insider owned 21,354 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $761,697.18. The trade was a 15.33% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 7,861 shares of company stock worth $354,730 over the last 90 days. 5.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

More Nektar Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive clinical readout (REZOLVE‑AD) triggered the surge: investors reacted to published 36‑week maintenance data for rezpegaldesleukin in atopic dermatitis, which investors view as materially de‑risking the program and drove rapid buying interest. Forbes: Can NKTR Stock Sustain Its 1,000% Rally?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher price targets amplified momentum — firms raised targets and reiterated Buy ratings after the data, signaling increased sell‑side conviction and drawing more institutional interest. Analyst Upgrade / Price Target Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high trading volume followed the upgrade and data release, reflecting both retail and institutional flows; higher volume supports price moves but also increases volatility risk. DefenseWorld: Unusually High Trading Volume
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst model changes — some firms raised price targets (e.g., to $151/$165) while certain long‑range EPS estimates were revised down, indicating upbeat commercial expectations but recognition of longer‑term spending and modeling uncertainty. Price Target Raises / Estimate Changes
• Negative Sentiment: Large equity offering introduces dilution and likely pressured intraday selling: Nektar priced an upsized $400M offering and subsequently closed an offering totaling about $460M (including underwriter exercise), which increases share supply despite providing cash to fund development. MSN: Nektar Therapeutics Prices $400M Stock Offering PR Newswire: Closing of $460M Offering
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction to the offering included an immediate pullback in some sessions as investors weighed dilution vs. runway extension; expect heightened volatility while the market digests both the clinical news and the new share supply. Investing.com: Stock Falls After $400M Offering

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.