Moody Aldrich Partners LLC Decreases Stock Position in Nektar Therapeutics $NKTR

Key Points

• Moody Aldrich Partners trimmed its stake in Nektar by 24% in Q4, selling 17,693 shares and now holds 56,023 shares valued at $2.37M, while institutional investors collectively own 75.88% of the stock.
• Nektar beat Q1 estimates with EPS of ($1.78) versus ($2.69) expected and revenue of $21.81M (vs. $10.44M est.), but remains deeply unprofitable with large negative margins and analysts projecting a full‑year EPS of ‑$10.02.
• The stock trades around $83.81 with a 12‑month range of $7.99–$109, and analysts have a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating and an average target of $140.63, with several firms recently raising price targets (e.g., B. Riley $150, Oppenheimer $140).

Moody Aldrich Partners LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR - Free Report) by 24.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 56,023 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after selling 17,693 shares during the quarter. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC owned 0.28% of Nektar Therapeutics worth $2,369,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust acquired a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the third quarter worth about $13,269,000. Simplify Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Nektar Therapeutics by 67.6% in the third quarter. Simplify Asset Management Inc. now owns 87,174 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $4,960,000 after acquiring an additional 35,176 shares during the last quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the third quarter worth approximately $18,393,000. Farallon Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Nektar Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $45,008,000. Finally, Readystate Asset Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,563,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.88% of the company's stock.

Nektar Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ NKTR opened at $83.81 on Wednesday. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $76.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $60.00. Nektar Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $7.99 and a 12 month high of $109.00. The company has a market capitalization of $2.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.22 and a beta of 1.16.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.78) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($2.69) by $0.91. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 297.07% and a negative return on equity of 380.32%. The firm had revenue of $21.81 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.44 million. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Nektar Therapeutics will post -10.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on NKTR. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Nektar Therapeutics from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. B. Riley Financial restated a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 price target (up from $105.00) on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Wedbush increased their price objective on Nektar Therapeutics from $70.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $140.00 target price on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $140.63.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was 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 directly owned 75,489 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,510,697. This represents a 0.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 3.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

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