Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.44 EPS

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.63) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($2.07) by $0.44, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $9.39 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.27 million. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 37.87% and a negative net margin of 287.84%.

Here are the key takeaways from Nektar Therapeutics’ conference call:

• Nektar has started all three Phase III atopic dermatitis studies and expects to begin its approximately 850-patient alopecia areata study in December. The company expects initial atopic dermatitis results in summer 2028 and alopecia areata data in 2029, with a goal of filing an atopic dermatitis BLA by the end of 2029.
• Management highlighted Phase II findings it says support REZPEG’s potential for durable responses and a distinct Treg-based mechanism, including biomarker changes associated with later clinical improvement. Results from a 52-week off-treatment follow-up in atopic dermatitis are expected in the first quarter of 2027; these findings remain early-stage evidence, not proof of long-term benefit.
• Nektar plans to expand REZPEG development into vitiligo with a roughly 30-patient proof-of-concept study, with data anticipated in late 2027 or early 2028. The company also said a TrialNet-sponsored Phase II type 1 diabetes study is ongoing, with initial cohort data expected in late 2027 or early 2028.
• Nektar ended the quarter with approximately $953 million in cash and investments and no debt, and expects more than $840 million at year-end. It reported a third-quarter net loss of about $56 million and forecast full-year R&D expense of $185 million to $200 million, reflecting increased clinical and manufacturing activity.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Down 3.1%

NKTR traded down $1.19 during trading on Thursday, reaching $37.25. 773,046 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 642,848. The company’s 50-day moving average is $49.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $64.54. The company has a market cap of $1.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.56 and a beta of 1.44. Nektar Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $33.40 and a 12-month high of $109.00.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on NKTR shares. Canaccord Genuity Group initiated coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $153.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, August 21st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $65.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Monday, October 12th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $53.00 price objective for the company. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $185.00 price objective on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, August 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $130.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Nektar Therapeutics news, CEO Howard Robin sold 418 shares of Nektar Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.98, for a total transaction of $30,087.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 54,627 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,932,051.46. The trade was a 0.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Nektar Therapeutics

Nektar Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in San Francisco, California. It discovers and develops medicines, with a current focus on treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Its lead investigational program, rezpegaldesleukin (REZPEG), is designed to stimulate regulatory T cells, which help regulate immune responses. Nektar is studying the candidate in clinical trials for immune-mediated conditions; it is not an approved medicine. Founded in 1990 as Inhale Therapeutic Systems, the company later adopted the Nektar name as it expanded its drug-development work.