Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) Trading 9% Higher - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Shares of Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) saw a 9% increase in trading, reaching a high of $5.50 before closing at $5.64.
• Wall Street analysts have shown optimism, with upgrades from multiple firms leading to a consensus "Buy" rating and an average target price of $10.29.
• Insider trading activity was noted, with significant sales from executives reducing their holdings, indicating a potential concern among company leadership.

Shares of Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) were up 9% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $5.50 and last traded at $5.64. Approximately 793,925 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 54% from the average daily volume of 1,708,001 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.17.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AQST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. Lifesci Capital upgraded shares of Aquestive Therapeutics to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 3rd. 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. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $10.29.

Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $518.54 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.43 and a beta of 1.82. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $4.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3.42.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $10.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.32 million. Aquestive Therapeutics has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Aquestive Therapeutics news, insider Peter E. Boyd sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.30, for a total transaction of $79,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 288,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,528,111.90. This represents a 4.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Cassie Jung sold 62,180 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.00, for a total value of $310,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 283,346 shares in the company, valued at $1,416,730. The trade was a 18.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 77,580 shares of company stock worth $392,800. 7.85% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

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

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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