Q1 Earnings Forecast for NKTR Issued By Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research forecasts heavy near- and long-term losses for Nektar, estimating Q1 2028 EPS of ($3.45) and FY2028 EPS of ($13.82), while the current full-year consensus sits at ($0.72) per share.
• Nektar recently beat expectations — reporting EPS of ($1.78) vs. a consensus of ($2.69) and revenue of $21.81M vs. $10.44M — but remains unprofitable with a negative net margin (~297%) and negative return on equity (~386%).
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive (nine Buys, one Hold, one Sell) with an average price target of $128.13; shares trade around the mid-$70s (market cap ~$2.17B) after a recent ~5% uptick.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR - Free Report) - Zacks Research issued their Q1 2028 earnings per share estimates for Nektar Therapeutics in a research note issued on Wednesday, April 1st. Zacks Research analyst Team expects that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings per share of ($3.45) for the quarter. The consensus estimate for Nektar Therapeutics' current full-year earnings is ($0.72) per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Nektar Therapeutics' FY2028 earnings at ($13.82) EPS.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.78) earnings per share (EPS) 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 386.16%. The business had revenue of $21.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.44 million.

A number of other research firms 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. HC Wainwright upped their target price on Nektar Therapeutics from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wedbush assumed coverage on Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $70.00 target price for the company. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (e+)" rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Nine equities research 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Nektar Therapeutics presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.13.

Nektar Therapeutics Trading Up 5.2%

Shares of NKTR opened at $75.71 on Thursday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $62.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $56.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.42 and a beta of 1.16. Nektar Therapeutics has a 1-year low of $6.45 and a 1-year high of $78.81.

Insider Activity at Nektar Therapeutics

In related news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was 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 owned 75,489 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,510,697. This trade represents a 0.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 3,867 shares of Nektar Therapeutics stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider owned 21,354 shares of the company's stock, valued at $761,697.18. The trade was a 15.33% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 4,470 shares of company stock valued at $181,955 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 5.25% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NKTR. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 93.8% in 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. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 90,743 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $3,837,000 after purchasing an additional 743 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its stake in Nektar Therapeutics by 51.3% during the 4th quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 2,541 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 862 shares in the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics by 70.6% in the third quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 2,602 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $148,000 after buying an additional 1,077 shares during the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd raised its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics by 22.0% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 7,196 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $304,000 after buying an additional 1,299 shares during the last quarter. 75.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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