Nektar Therapeutics — Biotechnology. Scored on the same transparent model behind the daily rankings.
★
NKTR
Nektar Therapeutics · Biotechnology
FCF-$234mF
Rev-43.9%F
D/E0.15B+
P/S46.6xD
PEG0.31A
25.8Score
$74.55$2.5B
1Y Target$144.40Analyst consensus · 10 analysts
5Y Target$252.56Compound horizon
10Y Target$451.37Long-dated conviction
FCF-$234mTTMF
FCF is negative (-$234m) — cash-burning phase; acceptable only for pre-profit spec names
Rev-43.9%FY YoYF
Revenue -43.9% — severe decline · Computed from last two annual revenue figures (FY YoY).
D/E0.15B+
D/E 0.15 — below the Healthcare debt median (≈40th pctile)
P/S46.6xD
P/S 46.6x — most expensive decile in Healthcare (≈95th pctile)
PEG0.31A
PEG 0.31 — exceptional; paying well under fair value for growth
Forward price target — the 1-year figure is the analyst consensus where the stock is covered; the 5- and 10-year figures compound our earnings estimate from there. The DCF below is a separate cross-check on intrinsic value (what it's worth today), not another target.
Quality-growth score · 25.8
Quality18.0
Growth13.8
Value69.0
Why this score
Diluting shareholders
Entry · Margin of safety
52-week rangeMid-range
32% off the 12-month high
Quality signals · context only
Gross profitability5% · Cgross profit ÷ total assets (Novy-Marx)
ROIC-10.7% · Freturn on invested capital — not score-weighted
Model-generatedGenerated by the Bull Rankings model from this company's reported fundamentals, and checked against the figures shown above.
Why now
NKTR is poised to rebound because its Phase‑2b immunotherapy rezpegaldesleukin targets a significant autoimmune and inflammatory disease market, and the market has already priced in a $144.40 consensus target versus today’s $74.55 price. The Bull Rankings model gives NKTR a Quality‑Growth score of 25.8, with Value as its strongest pillar, underscoring that the stock is dramatically cheap relative to its pipeline potential (PEG 0.31 and debt‑to‑equity 0.15). The thesis hinges on the pipeline’s ability to convert these early‑stage assets into revenue, compounding earnings as each indication clears pivotal trials.
Moat
NKTR’s moat lies in its proprietary cytokine‑engineered platform and deep collaborations with Takeda, AstraZeneca and Roche, which lock in co‑development rights and give it exclusive access to high‑margin biologics. The IP‑protected immunotherapy candidates create high switching costs for patients and physicians, making it difficult for generic or small‑molecule rivals to replicate the same immune‑modulating mechanisms.
Risk
The bear case centers on a steep -43.9% YoY revenue decline and a negative free cash flow of -$234M, reflecting execution risk and the uncertainty of Phase‑2b readouts; coupled with a ROE of -17.4%, the company’s growth pillar is the weakest in our model. A missed trial or delayed partnership could keep cash burn high and confirm the dilution signal, crushing the upside.
Horizon
1-3 yr $144.40 (10-analyst consensus) — catalyst-driven; binary events dominate. 5 yr $252.56 — requires the platform / technology to reach commercial scale. 10 yr $451.37 — return distribution heavily skewed.
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
NKTR vs the Top Picks average
Pillar
NKTR
Book avg
Diff
Quality
0.18
0.83
-0.65
Growth
0.14
0.87
-0.73
Value
0.69
0.76
-0.07
Averaged across the 30 names in today's Top Picks (mean score 81.6). A name can beat these averages and still be absent from the book — it also applies concentration limits.
Score history · NKTR
Trend
+0.6 over 51 daily scores
From 25.2 (Jun 22) → 25.8 (now)
One point per daily model run. The range autoscales, so a flat-looking line can still hide 1–2 point moves — read the From → To values for the actual range.
NKTR at a glance
Every figure here comes from the same audited fundamentals behind the score. Charts drawn from data the score does not use say so on the card.
Position sizing · NKTR
$
%
%
Shares to buy
26
Position size
$1,938
3.9% of portfolio
Stop price
$55.91
25% below $74.55
$ at risk if stopped
$484.57
budget $500.00 · 1% of portfolio
Math only — share count is floor(portfolio × risk% ÷ (price × stop%)). Doesn't account for commissions, slippage, gap risk, or position-correlation across your book. Inputs persist locally; never sent to the server. Not investment advice.
Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) is a Biotechnology company that scores 25.8 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth model — a weak reading. The score blends three pillars — quality (durable returns, healthy margins, low leverage), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (valuation versus sector peers) — into one number, refreshed daily; it is a screen, not a buy recommendation.
Its strongest graded signals are PEG (A) and D/E (B+), while FCF (F) and Rev (F) rate weaker.
Is NKTR a good stock to buy?
Bull Rankings scores NKTR 25.8 out of 100 on its quality-growth model, which is a weak reading. That is driven by PEG (A) and D/E (B+). A score is a quantitative screen of Nektar Therapeutics's fundamentals, not personalised financial advice — weigh it against your own time horizon and risk tolerance, and read the risk factors below before acting.
Why does NKTR score 25.8 on Bull Rankings?
The score leans on value at 69.0 out of 100, with growth the weakest pillar at 13.8 — the three combine geometrically, so a weak one cannot be papered over by a strong one. NKTR earns its highest marks on PEG (A) and D/E (B+), and is held back by FCF (F) and Rev (F). Each signal is graded against sector-aware thresholds rather than one absolute bar, so NKTR is measured against Biotechnology peers, not against the market as a whole.
Is NKTR overvalued or undervalued?
We don't compute a reliable discounted-cash-flow value for NKTR — typically because it is not yet consistently profitable or free-cash-flow positive — so its valuation rests on growth and price-to-sales rather than on earnings-based intrinsic value. Judge it on the trajectory of the business, not a single multiple.
What are the main risks of investing in NKTR?
The bear case centers on a steep -43.9% YoY revenue decline and a negative free cash flow of -$234M, reflecting execution risk and the uncertainty of Phase‑2b readouts; coupled with a ROE of -17.4%, the company’s growth pillar is the weakest in our model. A missed trial or delayed partnership could keep cash burn high and confirm the dilution signal, crushing the upside.
Bull Rankings is an automated fundamentals screen for research and education. It is not investment advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Do your own research and consider consulting a licensed financial advisor.