Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume After Analyst Upgrade

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) saw unusually-high 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 were traded 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 also recently issued reports on NKTR. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. William Blair upgraded Nektar Therapeutics from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Citigroup began coverage on Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $102.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $119.86.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 2,207 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.28, for a total value of $119,795.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 54,245 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,944,418.60. The trade was 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 company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.28, for a total value of $34,196.40. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 21,585 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,171,633.80. This represents a 2.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,861 shares of company stock worth $354,730. 3.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Nektar Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: REZOLVE‑AD 36‑week maintenance data showed durable and deepening responses (high maintained EASI‑75 and vIGA‑AD 0/1 rates, increased EASI‑100 at week 52) with a favorable safety profile, supporting progression to a pivotal Phase 3 program — this is the primary catalyst behind the rally. REZOLVE‑AD maintenance data
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum: several firms raised ratings/targets (William Blair to outperform; BTIG and HC Wainwright lifted price targets substantially) and Citi reiterated a Buy — analysts are now modeling meaningful upside, which amplifies investor interest. Citi reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Heavy bullish trading flow: unusual call‑option activity and elevated equity volume suggest speculative and institutional buying around the data and analyst commentary, adding upward momentum (short‑term positive technical pressure).
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research and other analysts nudged EPS/forecast models (estimates improved — i.e., less negative EPS projections for 2026–2027), reflecting the trial’s potential impact on future revenue/profitability, but the company remains loss‑making today.
• Negative Sentiment: Proposed public offering: Nektar commenced an underwritten offering to raise $300M of common stock and pre‑funded warrants. That raises dilution risk and could cap near‑term gains despite the clinical upside. Offering announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Volatility and hype risk: some coverage flags that the recent surge may have overshot fundamentals (one note questioned whether further upside is sustainable after a >50% jump), introducing pullback risk if Phase 3 expectations or commercial assumptions prove optimistic. Zacks commentary on the rally

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the second quarter worth about $39,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth about $88,000. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 1,741.2% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,565 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 1,480 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Nektar Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter valued at about $96,000. 75.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.17 and a beta of 1.34. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $43.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.96.

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.