Why did NKTR's Q4 earnings fall short of forecasts?

Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) experienced a shortfall in its Q4 earnings relative to forecasts due to a combination of factors: 1. **Revenue Shortfall**: Nektar Therapeutics reported a total revenue of $29.18 million for Q4 2024, which included a revenue surprise of -7.49 million. This negative surprise indicates that the actual revenue was significantly lower than what was anticipated. |code|Ticker|Name|Date|Revenue Surprise|Total Revenue|market_code| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |NKTR|NKTR.O|Nektar Therapeutics|2024 Q1|6299000|2.1639E7|186| |NKTR|NKTR.O|Nektar Therapeutics|2024 Q2|5949000|2.3489E7|186| |NKTR|NKTR.O|Nektar Therapeutics|2024 Q3|5844000|2.4124E7|186| |NKTR|NKTR.O|Nektar Therapeutics|2024 Q4|-7485000|2.9175E7|186| 2. **Financial Losses**: The company reported an adjusted loss per share of 15 cents for Q4 2024, which was wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 13 cents. This suggests that the company's financial performance declined more than expected, contributing to the shortfall in earnings. 3. **Year-Over-Year Comparison**: When comparing Q4 2024 to Q4 2023, Nektar Therapeutics faced a challenging comparison. In Q4 2023, the company had incurred a loss of 32 cents per share. Although the company's revenues increased year-over-year, the loss per share was still higher than the previous year, indicating ongoing financial challenges. 4. **Market and Economic Factors**: While specific details are lacking, it's important to consider broader market and economic factors that could have impacted Nektar Therapeutics' performance. These factors might include industry trends, regulatory changes, or broader economic conditions that affected the company's financial outcomes. In summary, Nektar Therapeutics' Q4 earnings fell short of forecasts due to a combination of lower-than-expected revenues and increased financial losses. These results indicate that the company faces significant challenges, and its performance is closely monitored by investors for signs of improvement or further declines.