NKTR conference call

A couple paragraphs from the transcript. No expert but I am trying to live with my NKTR -25% status.
1-when next big thing that might change stock direction. The ASCO presentation date/time.
2-Why recent stock offload by NKTR managers is not as scary as one (or me) would think.
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1-
So we’ll clearly point out to you the studies – the patients who have been on study longer and those patients who have had one scan and more than one scan. And so I just want to say, we’re really looking forward to seeing you and everyone on this call at our ASCO presentation, and that’s going to take place on Saturday, June 2, in the Developmental Therapeutics session between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
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2-
Okay, thanks. I appreciate that. And then can you also just clear the air and talk about the recent management stock sales? I completely realize that share appreciation has been meaningful, but the upticks aren’t great. So I wanted to give you the forum to address those investor questions.

Howard W. Robin, Nektar Therapeutics - CEO, President & Director [12]

Sure, Jessica, I’m happy to address it. I think, look, you – all the management stock sales have been done under plans that were put in place some time ago. And for the most part, the sales of shares that you see are just a small percentage of the ownership of the management team and, quite frankly, are generally within a year of expiration. Now I think if you look at – I always look at this myself because I think it’s a very important question to ask, and I certainly know the investors are looking at this carefully, but if you look at the ownership and shares of the senior management team at Nektar, they probably still own 80% of their vested shares and they haven’t been selling those. So if you come upon shares that are expiring or soon to expire, of course, they’re going to be disposed off in some fashion. But if – but I always look at the – I look to myself and I look at the entire team and I say, where do we stand as a management team in owning a portion of Nektar. And for example, I still have – probably 80% of my vested shares are still sitting in the bank, so to speak, right? So I don’t think there’s been any unusual stock sales. I think the management is going to dispose off shares as they come close to expiration as stock options come close to expirations. But I also know that the team is well staked with vested shares and has a strong, strong belief that this company has enormous potential and a long way to go. And I don’t see anybody disposing off shares that aren’t reasonably close to expiration. So – or I should say, options reasonably close to expiration. So I hope everybody understands that in some fashion, stock options are a form of compensation and it’s not unusual to see that form of compensation taken advantage of by management, especially after such a successful performance in 2017 and so far in 2018. And quite frankly, while I’m always looking at this, I don’t have a problem with people taking little bit of money off the table when shares are in the neighborhood of expiring, when options are in the neighborhood of expiring. I hope that answers the question.

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