Royal Bank of Canada Boosts Stake in Nektar Therapeutics $NKTR

Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) by 131.0% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 16,181 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after buying an additional 9,176 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in Nektar Therapeutics were worth $1,164,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 93.8% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 434 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV acquired a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at about $52,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at about $67,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth about $85,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics during the second quarter worth about $65,000. 75.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 5,681 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total transaction of $397,670.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $682,920. The trade was a 36.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.32, for a total transaction of $603,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 65,045 shares in the company, valued at $3,923,514.40. The trade was a 13.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 21,823 shares of company stock valued at $1,380,558 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Key Nektar Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright improved its FY2026 EPS forecast to a loss of $7.49 from a prior estimate of $7.94, while also making modestly better estimates for FY2027, FY2028, FY2029 and the second quarter of 2027. These revisions suggest somewhat lower expected losses over several periods.
• Neutral Sentiment: Nektar Therapeutics CEO Howard W. Robin sold 418 shares, and insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 186 shares, at $71.98 per share. Both transactions were made to cover tax-withholding obligations tied to vested equity awards, reducing the likelihood that the sales represent a negative change in management’s outlook. SEC insider transaction filing
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright slightly lowered its Q3 2026 EPS forecast to a loss of $1.91 from $1.90 and sharply cut its FY2030 estimate to earnings of $0.35 per share from $1.57. The long-term reduction may weigh on sentiment because it implies a slower or less profitable path to sustainable earnings.
• Negative Sentiment: The broader earnings outlook remains weak: consensus calls for a current-year loss of approximately $8.69 per share, while Nektar’s latest reported quarter included a $1.23 loss per share and revenue below expectations. Continued cash usage and dependence on clinical or pipeline progress remain key risks for investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on NKTR shares. Wedbush dropped their price target on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $95.00 to $80.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $105.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group assumed coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $153.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Nektar Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 17th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $150.00.

Nektar Therapeutics Trading Down 2.0%

NASDAQ:NKTR opened at $74.53 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.54 billion, a PE ratio of -11.12 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $69.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $70.33. Nektar Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $26.45 and a 12-month high of $109.00.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.23) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.97) by $0.74. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 37.87% and a negative net margin of 287.84%.The firm had revenue of $10.13 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.43 million. Equities analysts forecast that Nektar Therapeutics will post -8.6 EPS for the current year.

Nektar Therapeutics 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.