HC Wainwright Issues Positive Estimate for NKTR Earnings

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) – Stock analysts at HC Wainwright lifted their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Nektar Therapeutics in a research report issued on Tuesday, March 17th. HC Wainwright analyst A. He now anticipates that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings per share of ($1.51) for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of ($2.05). 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’ Q2 2026 earnings at ($1.82) EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at ($2.55) EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($3.41) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($9.30) EPS, FY2027 earnings at ($11.69) EPS, FY2028 earnings at ($12.22) EPS, FY2029 earnings at ($8.23) EPS and FY2030 earnings at ($0.09) EPS.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.78) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($2.69) by $0.91. The company had revenue of $21.81 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.44 million. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 386.16% and a negative net margin of 297.07%.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on NKTR. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective (up from $105.00) on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $102.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, BTIG Research lifted their price target on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $118.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $136.43.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of Nektar Therapeutics stock opened at $73.18 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.18 and a beta of 1.17. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $55.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $54.16. Nektar Therapeutics has a one year low of $6.45 and a one year high of $77.00.

Insider Transactions at Nektar Therapeutics

In other news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total value of $30,879.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 75,489 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,510,697. This represents a 0.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 represents a 15.33% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,470 shares of company stock worth $181,955. Company insiders own 5.25% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust bought a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the third quarter worth approximately $13,269,000. Simplify Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 67.6% during the 3rd quarter. Simplify Asset Management Inc. now owns 87,174 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $4,960,000 after purchasing an additional 35,176 shares in the last quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Nektar Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter valued at $18,393,000. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 62.3% in the 3rd quarter. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC now owns 73,716 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $4,194,000 after buying an additional 28,304 shares during the period. Finally, Readystate Asset Management LP bought a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth $2,563,000. 75.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Nektar Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen initiated coverage with a Buy rating, highlighting upside potential and driving renewed institutional interest. TD Cowen initiates coverage of Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) with buy recommendation
• Positive Sentiment: Other analysts (Citigroup, H.C. Wainwright, TipRanks summaries) have issued bullish takes or reiterated Buy ratings, citing Rezpeg clinical momentum and a strong cash runway that support upside for indications like atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata. Nektar Therapeutics Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/fundamental context: NKTR has recently posted an earnings beat (revenue above consensus) and maintains a sizable cash runway, which underpins bullish analyst views even as the name remains volatile versus its 12‑month range.
• Negative Sentiment: A broad wave of class-action filings and law‑firm solicitations allege securities fraud tied to statements about patient enrollment/compliance in the REZOLVE‑AA program; multiple firms (Pomerantz, Levi & Korsinsky, Faruqi & Faruqi, Rosen, Glancy, etc.) have filed or are seeking plaintiffs and remind investors of a May 5, 2026 lead‑plaintiff deadline — this legal overhang is the main near‑term downside catalyst. Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against Nektar Therapeutics Levi & Korsinsky investor alert on alleged enrollment issues

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.