Howard Robin Sells 423 Shares of Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Stock

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) CEO Howard Robin sold 423 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $5,510,697. This trade represents a 0.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Performance

NASDAQ NKTR opened at $73.73 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $45.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.50 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.25 and a beta of 1.34. Nektar Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $6.45 and a fifty-two week high of $74.89.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on NKTR shares. HC Wainwright raised their price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $102.00 price target on the stock. BTIG Research upped their price objective on Nektar Therapeutics from $118.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, William Blair raised Nektar Therapeutics from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $119.86.

Trending Headlines about Nektar Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple multi‑quarter and full‑year EPS projections (FY2026 and FY2027 were revised to smaller losses), indicating improved analyst expectations for Nektar’s future results — a generally constructive signal for the stock. MarketBeat NKTR
• Positive Sentiment: Nektar announced research collaboration with UCSF to test a TNFR2‑agonist/antibody approach in multiple sclerosis — a meaningful pipeline development that could add long‑term value if clinical data are positive. MSNewsToday: UCSF, Nektar team BioWorld: TNFR2 agonism in MS
• Neutral Sentiment: An AAII piece compared Nektar to another biotech (Harmony Biosciences) as an investment choice — useful context for longer‑term investors but unlikely to move the stock materially on its own. AAII comparison article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut near‑term quarter estimates for Q2 2026 (and separately trimmed Q2 2027), signaling some expected near‑term pressure to results that can weigh on sentiment. MarketBeat NKTR

Institutional Trading of Nektar Therapeutics

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 93.8% in the third 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. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 90,743 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $3,837,000 after buying an additional 743 shares during the period. Bayforest Capital Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 51.3% in the 4th quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 2,541 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $107,000 after buying an additional 862 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Nektar Therapeutics by 70.6% during the 3rd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 2,602 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $148,000 after acquiring an additional 1,077 shares in the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd boosted its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics by 22.0% during the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 7,196 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $304,000 after acquiring an additional 1,299 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.88% of the company’s stock.

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.