Investors Buy High Volume of Call Options on Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR)

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock investors purchased 2,351 call options on the company. This is an increase of 245% compared to the typical volume of 681 call options.

Nektar Therapeutics Stock Down 2.3 %

Nektar Therapeutics stock opened at $0.74 on Friday. Nektar Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $0.65 and a 52-week high of $1.93. The firm has a market cap of $137.72 million, a PE ratio of -0.88 and a beta of 0.65. The company’s 50 day moving average is $0.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.05.

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.18) by $0.33. The company had revenue of $29.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.65 million. Nektar Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 173.28% and a negative net margin of 180.70%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Nektar Therapeutics will post -0.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nektar Therapeutics

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Two Sigma Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Nektar Therapeutics by 56.3% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Securities LLC now owns 27,654 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 9,958 shares in the last quarter. Harvest Investment Services LLC purchased a new position in Nektar Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Nektar Therapeutics during the third quarter worth approximately $41,000. US Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Nektar Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Nektar Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 75.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NKTR has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer raised shares of Nektar Therapeutics from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $6.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, March 14th. B. Riley began coverage on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $4.00 price objective for the company. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and set a $6.50 price target on shares of Nektar Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Nektar Therapeutics currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $4.92.

Nektar Therapeutics Company Profile

Nektar Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on discovering and developing medicines in the field of immunotherapy in the United States and internationally. The company is developing rezpegaldesleukin, a cytokine Treg stimulant that is in phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and ulcerative colitis, as well as phase 2b clinical trial to treat atopic dermatitis and psoriasis; and NKTR-255, an IL-15 receptor agonist, which is in phase 1 clinical trial to boost the immune system's natural ability to fight cancer.