Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Hits New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) shares hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $67.94 and last traded at $66.2620, with a volume of 4260131 shares. The stock had previously closed at $56.00.

More Nektar Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive REZOLVE‑AD Phase 2b 36‑week maintenance data: results showed durable and deepening disease control for rezpegaldesleukin in atopic dermatitis — the clinical readout is the main catalyst for the rally and potential late‑stage program talk. REZOLVE‑AD maintenance data
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst upgrades and price‑target increases (HC Wainwright to $165, BTIG to $151, William Blair upgrade) reflecting improved commercial/clinical outlook and driving more buy interest. Analyst coverage updates
• Positive Sentiment: Elevated market activity and options volume: unusually high trading volume and heavy call buying indicate speculative and institutional interest following the trial and upgrades. Volume/upgrade note
• Neutral Sentiment: Company scheduled/hosted investor conference call to discuss the 36‑week results — useful for details but already largely priced in. Conference call
• Negative Sentiment: Equity offering/dilution risk — Nektar launched a $300M proposed offering and later priced an upsized $400M public offering (6.6M shares + pre‑funded warrants). This raises dilution concerns that can temper enthusiasm despite the clinical news. Offering priced
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright cut multi‑year EPS forecasts (FY2028/FY2029) even as it raised its near‑term price target — suggests modeling uncertainty (costs, dilution, or conservative long‑term cash flow assumptions). HC Wainwright estimates

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NKTR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup started coverage on Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $102.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded Nektar Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, November 16th. HC Wainwright increased their target price on Nektar Therapeutics from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $119.86.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Up 18.3%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a PE ratio of -8.32 and a beta of 1.34. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $43.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $46.10.

Insider Transactions at Nektar Therapeutics

In other Nektar Therapeutics news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 2,207 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $119,795.96. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 54,245 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,944,418.60. This trade represents a 3.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Mark Andrew Wilson sold 630 shares of Nektar Therapeutics stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.28, for a total transaction of $34,196.40. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,585 shares in the company, valued at $1,171,633.80. This represents a 2.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 7,861 shares of company stock valued at $354,730 over the last quarter. 5.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Nektar Therapeutics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 336.9% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,640,851 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,463,000 after buying an additional 2,807,595 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics by 30.0% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 948,647 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $53,978,000 after acquiring an additional 219,155 shares during the period. Farallon Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at about $45,008,000. Two Seas Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,506,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 446.9% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 434,237 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $24,708,000 after acquiring an additional 354,842 shares during the period. 75.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.