Q2 EPS Estimate for Nektar Therapeutics Increased by Analyst

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) – Stock analysts at HC Wainwright lifted their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, May 11th. HC Wainwright analyst A. He now forecasts that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings of ($1.68) per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of ($1.82). HC Wainwright has a “Buy” rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for Nektar Therapeutics’ current full-year earnings is ($9.71) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Nektar Therapeutics’ Q3 2026 earnings at ($1.90) EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($2.50) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($7.94) EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at ($2.55) EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at ($1.21) EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at ($2.72) EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($2.36) EPS, FY2027 earnings at ($8.86) EPS, FY2028 earnings at ($9.53) EPS, FY2029 earnings at ($6.33) EPS and FY2030 earnings at $1.57 EPS.

NKTR has been the topic of a number of other reports. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $123.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Nektar Therapeutics from $105.00 to $192.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. BTIG Research lifted their price target on Nektar Therapeutics from $151.00 to $178.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. 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 stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $149.63.

Nektar Therapeutics Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:NKTR opened at $78.43 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $78.05 and a 200-day moving average of $61.35. Nektar Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $7.99 and a 12 month high of $109.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.65 billion, a PE ratio of -9.31 and a beta of 1.24.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.82) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.58) by ($0.24). The firm had revenue of $10.86 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.69 million. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 85.40% and a negative net margin of 284.18%.

Institutional Trading of Nektar Therapeutics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NKTR. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 336.9% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,640,851 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,463,000 after purchasing an additional 2,807,595 shares in the last quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $45,008,000. Two Seas Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,506,000. Prosight Management LP bought a new position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $23,450,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP increased its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 446.9% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 434,237 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $24,708,000 after acquiring an additional 354,842 shares during the last quarter. 75.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Nektar Therapeutics

In other Nektar Therapeutics news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 423 shares of Nektar Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were 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 approximately $5,510,697. The trade was a 0.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.