Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Aquestive Therapeutics Put Options (NASDAQ:AQST)

Key Points

• Aquestive Therapeutics saw unusually heavy bearish options activity, with investors purchasing 11,658 put options—390% above the average volume.
• AQST shares fell to $3.83, while the company reported a quarterly loss of $0.18 per share, missing estimates, despite revenue of $13.82 million exceeding forecasts.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $8.60, although insiders recently sold shares and one analyst maintained a sell rating.

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock traders acquired 11,658 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 390% compared to the average volume of 2,379 put options.

Aquestive Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ AQST traded down $0.23 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $3.83. The stock had a trading volume of 2,762,347 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,961,702. The stock has a market cap of $481.21 million, a PE ratio of -5.93 and a beta of 1.49. Aquestive Therapeutics has a 1 year low of $2.93 and a 1 year high of $7.55. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $4.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.35.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.18) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.10) by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $13.82 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.42 million. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Aquestive Therapeutics will post -0.50 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Sherry Korczynski sold 8,750 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.22, for a total value of $45,675.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 235,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,230,296.58. The trade was a 3.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Daniel Barber sold 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.82, for a total value of $120,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 652,317 shares in the company, valued at $3,144,167.94. This represents a 3.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 6.81% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $210,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its position in Aquestive Therapeutics by 20.5% during the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 49,879 shares of the company's stock valued at $207,000 after purchasing an additional 8,496 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at about $60,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Aquestive Therapeutics by 4.0% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 301,647 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,255,000 after purchasing an additional 11,587 shares during the period. Finally, Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at about $252,000. Institutional investors own 32.45% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on AQST shares. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $10.00 price objective on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $11.00 price target on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, September 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aquestive Therapeutics currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $8.60.

Aquestive Therapeutics Company Profile

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc is a pharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes medicines using proprietary drug-delivery technologies, including its PharmFilm platform. The company's oral and buccal films are designed to dissolve in the mouth and may provide alternatives to conventional tablets, capsules, injections, or liquid formulations.

Aquestive's commercial and partnered products have included treatments for neurological conditions. Its portfolio includes Libervant (diazepam buccal film) for seizure clusters, Exservan (riluzole oral film) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Sympazan (clonazepam oral film) for certain seizure disorders.

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