Nektar Therapeutics Reports Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

(Neutral)

(Positive)

Rhea-AI Summary

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) reported equity inducement grants made on June 19, 2026 under its 2025 Inducement Plan, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The committee granted non-qualified stock options for 20,500 shares and 3,900 RSUs to seven new employees, with a $60.98 exercise price and four-year vesting schedules.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

News Market Reaction – NKTR

+2.73%

+2.73% News Effect

On the day this news was published, NKTR gained 2.73%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Market Context

This announcement details standard inducement equity awards—20,500 options and 3,900 RSUs at a $60.9...

Analysis

This announcement details standard inducement equity awards—20,500 options and 3,900 RSUs at a $60.98 strike—used to attract new hires. Investors may track ongoing grant levels and insider selling patterns as potential overhangs on sentiment.

Key Figures

Inducement options granted: 20,500 shares Inducement RSUs granted: 3,900 RSUs New employees: 7 employees +3 more

6 metrics

Inducement options granted 20,500 shares Non-qualified stock options under 2025 Inducement Plan

Inducement RSUs granted 3,900 RSUs Awards to seven newly hired employees

New employees 7 employees Recipients of inducement equity grants

Option exercise price $60.98 Equal to NKTR closing price on June 18, 2026

Option term 8 years Non-qualified stock options granted June 19, 2026

Equity vesting period 4 years Options and RSUs vest over four years

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jun 03 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Jun 03	Inducement grants	Neutral	+0.1%	Inducement stock options granted to new employees under 2025 plan.
May 27	Conference participation	Neutral	-0.6%	Announcement of participation in Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference webcast.
May 07	Earnings results	Negative	-1.8%	Q1 2026 financial results with revenue, expenses and net loss disclosure.
May 01	Inducement grants	Neutral	+0.5%	Inducement equity awards of options and RSUs to new hires.
Apr 28	Earnings date set	Neutral	-0.7%	Scheduling of Q1 2026 results release and investor conference call.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent NKTR news events have produced modest, mostly aligned price reactions, with earnings drawing the largest negative move.

Key Terms

non-qualified stock options, restricted stock units, rsus, nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4)

4 terms

non-qualified stock options financial

"granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 20,500 shares"

Non-qualified stock options are a type of employee benefit that gives individuals the right to buy company shares at a set price, usually lower than the market value, within a certain period. Unlike other options that may have special tax advantages, these options are taxed as income when exercised, which can affect how much money the employee or investor ultimately gains. They are important because they can influence company compensation strategies and impact the financial outcomes for employees and investors.

restricted stock units financial

"and 3,900 restricted stock units (RSUs) to seven newly-hired employees"

Restricted stock units are a type of company reward where employees are promised shares of stock, but they only fully own these shares after meeting certain conditions, like staying with the company for a set time. They matter because they can become valuable assets and are often used to motivate employees to help the company succeed.

rsus financial

"and 3,900 restricted stock units (RSUs) to seven newly-hired employees"

RSUs, or restricted stock units, are a form of company shares given to employees as part of their compensation. They are typically awarded with certain restrictions, such as a waiting period before they can be fully owned or sold, similar to earning a gift that becomes fully yours over time. For investors, RSUs can impact a company's stock offerings and reflect how much the company relies on stock-based incentives to attract and retain talent.

nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4) regulatory

"as an inducement material to such individual's entering into employment with Nektar, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)"

NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) is a rule that requires a company to get approval from its shareholders before selling a large amount of its shares, usually over 20%. This helps protect investors by making sure the company doesn't flood the market with new shares without their say, which could lower the stock's value.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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06/26/2026 - 04:30 PM

SAN FRANCISCO, June 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) today announced that, on June 19, 2026, the Organization and Compensation Committee of Nektar's Board of Directors granted non-qualified stock options to purchase an aggregate of 20,500 shares of its common stock and 3,900 restricted stock units (RSUs) to seven newly-hired employees under Nektar's 2025 Inducement Plan.

Nektar Logo

Nektar's 2025 Inducement Plan was adopted by its Board of Directors on November 6, 2025 and is used exclusively for the grant of equity awards to individuals who were not previously an employee or non-employee director of Nektar (or following a bona fide period of non-employment), as an inducement material to such individual's entering into employment with Nektar, pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

The stock options have an exercise price per share equal to $60.98, which is equal to the closing price of Nektar's common stock on June 18, 2026. The stock options have an eight-year term and will vest over four years with 1/4^th of the shares vesting on the one-year anniversary of the employee's grant date and 1/48^th of the shares vesting monthly thereafter over the next three years, subject to each employee's continued employment with Nektar on such vesting dates. The RSUs vest over four years with 1/4^th of the shares vesting following the one-year anniversary of the employee's grant date and 1/16^th of the shares vesting quarterly thereafter over the next three years, subject to each employee's continued employment with Nektar on the applicable vesting dates. The stock options and RSUs are subject to the terms and conditions of Nektar's 2025 Inducement Plan, and the terms and conditions of the stock option and RSU agreement covering the grant.

About Nektar Therapeutics

Nektar Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing treatments that address the underlying immunological dysfunction in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases. Nektar's lead product candidate, rezpegaldesleukin (REZPEG, or NKTR-358), is a novel, first-in-class regulatory T cell stimulator being evaluated in one Phase 2b clinical trial in atopic dermatitis, one Phase 2b clinical trial in alopecia areata, and one Phase 2 clinical trial in Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Nektar's pipeline also includes a preclinical bivalent tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (TNFR2) antibody and bispecific programs, NKTR-0165 and NKTR-0166, and a modified hematopoietic colony stimulating factor (CSF) protein, NKTR-422.

Nektar is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For further information, visit www.nektar.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which can be identified by words such as: "could," "develop," "evaluate," "address," "may" and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding the therapeutic potential of, and future development plans for, rezpegaldesleukin, NKTR-0165, NKTR-0166 and NKTR-422. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others: (i) our statements regarding the therapeutic potential of rezpegaldesleukin, NKTR-0165, NKTR-0166 and NKTR-422 are based on preclinical and clinical findings and observations and are subject to change as research and development continue; (ii) rezpegaldesleukin, NKTR-0165, NKTR-0166 and NKTR-422 are investigational agents and continued research and development for these drug candidates is subject to substantial risks, including negative safety and efficacy findings in future clinical studies (notwithstanding positive findings in earlier preclinical and clinical studies); (iii) rezpegaldesleukin, NKTR-0165, NKTR-0166 and NKTR-422 are in clinical or preclinical development and the risk of failure is high and can unexpectedly occur at any stage prior to regulatory approval; (iv) data reported from ongoing clinical trials are necessarily interim data only and the final results will change based on continuing observations; (v) the timing of the commencement or end of clinical trials and the availability of clinical data may be delayed or unsuccessful due to regulatory delays, slower than anticipated patient enrollment, manufacturing challenges, changing standards of care, evolving regulatory requirements, clinical trial design, clinical outcomes, competitive factors, or delay or failure in ultimately obtaining regulatory approval in one or more important markets; (vi) a Fast Track designation does not increase the likelihood that rezpegaldesleukin will receive marketing approval in the United States; (vii) patents may not issue from our patent applications for our drug candidates, patents that have issued may not be enforceable, or additional intellectual property licenses from third parties may be required; and (viii) certain other important risks and uncertainties set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 8, 2026. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Contacts:

For Investors:

Vivian Wu
VWu@nektar.com

Corey Davis, Ph.D.
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
cdavis@lifesciadvisors.com
212-915-2577

For Media:

Susan Roberts
LifeSci Communications
202-779-0929
sroberts@lifescicomms.com

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SOURCE Nektar Therapeutics

FAQ

What inducement equity grants did Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) announce on June 26, 2026?

Nektar Therapeutics announced stock options for 20,500 shares and 3,900 restricted stock units granted to seven new employees. According to Nektar, these awards were issued under its 2025 Inducement Plan as material inducements for employment pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

What is the exercise price and term of the new Nektar (NKTR) stock options?

The new Nektar stock options have an exercise price of $60.98 per share and an eight-year term. According to Nektar, the exercise price equals the June 18, 2026 closing price of its common stock and aligns with typical market-based option grant practices.

How do the Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) inducement stock options vest for new employees?

Nektar’s inducement stock options vest over four years, with 25% vesting on the one-year anniversary and the remainder monthly. According to Nektar, 1/48th of the shares vests each month thereafter for three years, subject to continued employment on vesting dates.

What is the vesting schedule for the new Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) RSU grants?

The RSUs vest over four years, with 25% vesting after one year and the remainder vesting quarterly. According to Nektar, 1/16th of the RSU shares vests each quarter for the next three years, subject to continued employment at each vesting date.

Under which plan were the June 2026 Nektar (NKTR) inducement grants issued?

The June 2026 inducement grants were issued under Nektar’s 2025 Inducement Plan adopted November 6, 2025. According to Nektar, this plan is used exclusively for equity awards to new employees as inducements for joining the company under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).