Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) Shares Down 9% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Aquestive Therapeutics' shares fell by 9% to $6.2050, with volume declining by 51% compared to its average daily volume.
• The stock has received mixed ratings, with two analysts rating it as a Strong Buy and others maintaining a Buy or Sell rating, resulting in an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $10.33.
• Insider transactions included significant sales, with Peter E. Boyd selling 15,000 shares and Carl N. Kraus selling 20,272 shares, indicating ongoing insider activity and potential concerns regarding stock liquidity.

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report)'s share price was down 9% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $6.33 and last traded at $6.2050. Approximately 952,972 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 51% from the average daily volume of 1,935,020 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.82.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AQST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Citigroup restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Lifesci Capital raised Aquestive Therapeutics to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. JMP Securities boosted their price target on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from $9.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $10.33.

Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $644.62 million, a P/E ratio of -9.22 and a beta of 1.77. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $5.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.17.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.18) by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $10.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.32 million. Aquestive Therapeutics has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.46 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aquestive Therapeutics

In other news, insider Peter E. Boyd sold 15,000 shares of Aquestive Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.30, for a total value of $79,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 288,323 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,528,111.90. The trade was a 4.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Carl N. Kraus sold 20,272 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.00, for a total transaction of $141,904.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 282,475 shares in the company, valued at $1,977,325. This trade represents a 6.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 276,770 shares of company stock valued at $1,692,203 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 8.35% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Wealth & Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in the first quarter worth $29,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Aquestive Therapeutics during the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 78.3% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,413 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 4,134 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, USAdvisors Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Aquestive Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 32.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Aquestive Therapeutics

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc operates as a pharmaceutical company in the United States and internationally. The company markets Sympazan, an oral soluble film formulation of clobazam for the treatment of lennox-gastaut syndrome; Suboxone, a sublingual film formulation of buprenorphine and naloxone for the treatment of opioid dependence; Zuplenz, an oral soluble film formulation of ondansetron for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and post-operative recovery; and Azstarys, a once-daily product for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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