HC Wainwright Issues Positive Forecast for Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Stock Price

Key Points

• HC Wainwright raised its price target on Nektar to $185 (from $165) and maintained a "buy" rating, implying about a 75% upside from the current price.
• Shares jumped to $105.53 on heavy volume after positive REZOLVE‑AA 16‑week extension and 52‑week topline results, which have driven analyst upgrades and investor buying interest.
• Despite recent earnings and revenue beats, Nektar faces a legal overhang from multiple securities‑class action filings and remains unprofitable with negative margins and an expected -0.72 EPS for the year.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR - Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by HC Wainwright from $165.00 to $185.00 in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the biopharmaceutical company's stock. HC Wainwright's price target would suggest a potential upside of 75.31% from the company's current price.

NKTR has been the topic of a number of other research reports. William Blair upgraded Nektar Therapeutics from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (e+)" rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Nektar Therapeutics from $102.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $134.00.

Nektar Therapeutics Price Performance

NKTR stock traded up $20.67 during trading on Monday, hitting $105.53. 2,694,321 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,053,172. The firm's 50 day moving average is $72.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $58.31. Nektar Therapeutics has a 1 year low of $7.99 and a 1 year high of $106.19. The stock has a market cap of $3.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.27 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) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($2.69) by $0.91. The firm had revenue of $21.81 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.44 million. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 297.07% and a negative return on equity of 380.32%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Nektar Therapeutics will post -0.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Nektar Therapeutics news, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.67, for a total value of $137,935.89. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 21,354 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $761,697.18. This represents a 15.33% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $30,879.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 75,489 shares in the company, valued at $5,510,697. This trade represents a 0.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 4,470 shares of company stock valued at $181,955 in the last ninety days. 3.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NKTR. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position 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 buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics during the second quarter worth approximately $65,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in Nektar Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at $68,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth about $85,000. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the third quarter worth $88,000. 75.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Nektar Therapeutics News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: 52‑week topline extension results show deepening responses (29% and 31% achieving new SALT ≤20 in the two extension arms), broad increases across SALT thresholds, high completion rate (94%), and maintained safety with twice‑monthly dosing — supports advancing rezpegaldesleukin toward late‑stage development. 52‑Week Topline Results PR Newswire
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary and headlines tie NKTR’s rally directly to the blinded 16‑week extension results and 52‑week topline readout, reinforcing investor attention and driving buying interest. Why Are Nektar Shares Up Monday?
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage in market movers roundups highlights NKTR among top gainers after the REZOLVE‑AA update, increasing visibility to momentum and event‑driven traders. Benzinga Movers
• Neutral Sentiment: Nektar held a conference call and webcast to discuss the 52‑week topline extension results (scheduled for April 20), which provided a forum for management to contextualize the data for investors. Conference Call Notice PR Newswire
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading was temporarily halted for NKTR with the stated reason “News pending” ahead of the release — a routine market mechanism that precedes material press releases and can concentrate volume when trading resumes.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms have filed or are soliciting lead plaintiffs in securities‑class actions alleging violations tied to prior disclosures; continued legal proceedings create potential liability, distraction, and an overhang on the stock. Schall Law Firm Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Additional plaintiff‑firm notices and a recent DJS Law Group reminder highlight parallel lawsuits and the May 5 lead plaintiff deadline, reinforcing legal risk as a near‑term catalyst for volatility. DJS Law Group Notice

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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