Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) Shares Up 7% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Aquestive Therapeutics shares rose by 7% to close at $6.64, despite seeing a significant drop in trading volume compared to the average.
• Analyst ratings for the company vary, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a price target of $10.71, although one analyst issued a sell rating.
• Insider activity shows a recent sale of 10,000 shares by insider Peter E. Boyd, alongside CEO Daniel Barber selling 91,343 shares, indicating a decrease in insider ownership.

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) shares shot up 7% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $6.65 and last traded at $6.64. 699,719 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 62% from the average session volume of 1,830,729 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.20.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $10.00 price target on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, June 17th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Aquestive Therapeutics from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, September 8th. Finally, Lifesci Capital raised Aquestive Therapeutics to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $10.71.

Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average price of $4.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $3.68. The company has a market capitalization of $667.13 million, a PE ratio of -9.56 and a beta of 1.77.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.14) 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 analysts' expectations of $11.32 million. Aquestive Therapeutics has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. Research analysts forecast that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Aquestive Therapeutics

In related news, insider Peter E. Boyd sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.30, for a total transaction of $63,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 278,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,753,434.90. This trade represents a 3.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Daniel Barber sold 91,343 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.03, for a total value of $550,798.29. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 923,430 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,568,282.90. The trade was a 9.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 178,923 shares of company stock worth $1,006,598. 8.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cox Capital Mgt LLC acquired a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Modern Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in Aquestive Therapeutics by 78.3% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,413 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 4,134 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $217,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in Aquestive Therapeutics by 6.0% during the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 47,098 shares of the company's stock valued at $156,000 after purchasing an additional 2,649 shares in the last quarter. 32.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Aquestive Therapeutics Company Profile

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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