Royal Bank of Canada Increases Position in Nektar Therapeutics $NKTR

Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) by 131.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,181 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,176 shares during the quarter. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in Nektar Therapeutics were worth $1,164,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 336.9% in the first 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. BVF Inc. IL lifted its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 22.2% during the 4th quarter. BVF Inc. IL now owns 1,559,595 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $65,940,000 after buying an additional 283,000 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Nektar Therapeutics by 30.0% in the 3rd 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. Two Seas Capital LP purchased a new stake in Nektar Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth $31,506,000. Finally, Armistice Capital LLC raised its position in Nektar Therapeutics by 122.4% during the fourth quarter. Armistice Capital LLC now owns 596,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,199,000 after acquiring an additional 328,000 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.88% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on NKTR. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $105.00 to $192.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Wedbush cut their target price on shares of Nektar Therapeutics from $95.00 to $80.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Nektar Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group began coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $153.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $150.00.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Performance

NASDAQ:NKTR opened at $74.53 on Friday. Nektar Therapeutics has a one year low of $26.45 and a one year high of $109.00. The stock has a market cap of $2.54 billion, a PE ratio of -11.12 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $69.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $70.33.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 13th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.23) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.97) by $0.74. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 37.87% and a negative net margin of 287.84%.The company had revenue of $10.13 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.43 million. As a group, analysts predict that Nektar Therapeutics will post -8.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Nektar Therapeutics News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright improved its FY2026 EPS forecast to a loss of $7.49 from a prior estimate of $7.94, while also making modestly better estimates for FY2027, FY2028, FY2029 and the second quarter of 2027. These revisions suggest somewhat lower expected losses over several periods.
• Neutral Sentiment: Nektar Therapeutics CEO Howard W. Robin sold 418 shares, and insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 186 shares, at $71.98 per share. Both transactions were made to cover tax-withholding obligations tied to vested equity awards, reducing the likelihood that the sales represent a negative change in management’s outlook. SEC insider transaction filing
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright slightly lowered its Q3 2026 EPS forecast to a loss of $1.91 from $1.90 and sharply cut its FY2030 estimate to earnings of $0.35 per share from $1.57. The long-term reduction may weigh on sentiment because it implies a slower or less profitable path to sustainable earnings.
• Negative Sentiment: The broader earnings outlook remains weak: consensus calls for a current-year loss of approximately $8.69 per share, while Nektar’s latest reported quarter included a $1.23 loss per share and revenue below expectations. Continued cash usage and dependence on clinical or pipeline progress remain key risks for investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Howard W. Robin sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.32, for a total transaction of $603,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,923,514.40. This trade represents a 13.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Jonathan Zalevsky sold 5,681 shares of Nektar Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total transaction of $397,670.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,756 shares in the company, valued at $682,920. This trade represents a 36.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 21,823 shares of company stock worth $1,380,558. Corporate insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

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.