Arcutis Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ARQT) Insider Todd Watanabe Sells 3,172 Shares

Key Points

• Insider Todd Watanabe sold 3,172 shares on May 4 at an average price of $23.61 (≈$74,891) under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan to cover tax withholding on vested awards, leaving him with 720,755 shares (a 0.44% ownership decrease).
• Arcutis reported strong commercial momentum with ZORYVE net revenue of $105.4M (≈+65% YoY) and positive operating cash flow, plus regulatory/pipeline catalysts (sNDA for infants, completed pediatric enrollment, started ARQ‑234 FIH studies); however, the quarter included an EPS miss of ($0.09) versus ($0.02) expected.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQT - Get Free Report) insider Todd Watanabe sold 3,172 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.61, for a total value of $74,890.92. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 720,755 shares of the company's stock, valued at $17,017,025.55. The trade was a 0.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Todd Watanabe also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, March 2nd, Todd Watanabe sold 37,349 shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.18, for a total value of $940,447.82.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics Stock Up 3.2%

Arcutis Biotherapeutics stock traded up $0.75 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $24.17. The stock had a trading volume of 1,381,968 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,329,167. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.02 billion, a PE ratio of -172.63 and a beta of 1.58. Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $12.42 and a fifty-two week high of $31.77. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $23.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 2.99 and a current ratio of 3.17.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ARQT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by ($0.07). Arcutis Biotherapeutics had a negative net margin of 4.29% and a negative return on equity of 10.26%. The firm had revenue of $105.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $103.68 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. will post 0.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Arcutis Biotherapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting Arcutis Biotherapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 product momentum — ZORYVE net product revenue was $105.4M, up ~65% year‑over‑year and above consensus revenue; company said it maintained positive operating cash flow and highlighted continued branded non‑steroidal share gains. Arcutis Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Provides Business Update
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory and pipeline progress — submitted an sNDA to expand ZORYVE for infants (3–24 months), completed enrollment in the ZORYVE foam pediatric MUSE trial, and started first‑in‑human studies of ARQ‑234. These catalysts support longer‑term growth expectations. Arcutis Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Provides Business Update
• Positive Sentiment: Commercial build — expanded the dermatology sales force and is building a primary care/pediatrics organization, which could broaden ZORYVE adoption. Arcutis Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Provides Business Update
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst stance — broker consensus remains a “Moderate Buy,” supporting investor sentiment around upside to the current share price. Arcutis Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy"
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider sales disclosed — several executives and a director sold shares recently (executed under pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plans and largely to cover taxes on vested awards), which is typical after vesting and less likely to signal negative insider sentiment. Representative SEC filing: Todd Watanabe Form 4

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $31.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $34.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arcutis Biotherapeutics

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ARQT. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 21.4% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 248,196 shares of the company's stock worth $3,882,000 after acquiring an additional 43,716 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 71,417 shares of the company's stock worth $1,118,000 after acquiring an additional 2,063 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning boosted its holdings in Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 19,575 shares of the company's stock worth $274,000 after acquiring an additional 1,477 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 548,789 shares of the company's stock worth $7,694,000 after acquiring an additional 5,407 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 4,562.5% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 11,190 shares of the company's stock worth $157,000 after acquiring an additional 10,950 shares during the last quarter.

About Arcutis Biotherapeutics

Arcutis Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for immuno-inflammatory skin diseases. The company's research and development efforts center on targeted treatments that address the underlying biology of conditions such as plaque psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis and vitiligo. Arcutis employs a precision-medicine approach to deliver topical therapies designed to improve efficacy and tolerability compared with existing treatment options.

In August 2022, Arcutis received U.S.

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