Investors Buy High Volume of Aquestive Therapeutics Call Options (NASDAQ:AQST)

Key Points

• Investors showed significant interest in Aquestive Therapeutics, purchasing 3,169 call options, marking a 211% increase from the average volume of 1,020 call options.
• Insider trading activity was notable, with COO Cassie Jung selling 62,180 shares, representing an 18% decrease in her position, while insider Peter E. Boyd sold 15,000 shares, reducing his stake by nearly 5%.
• Analysts have a positive outlook on the stock, with Oppenheimer raising its price target from $7.00 to $8.00 and a consensus price target of $10.29 across multiple ratings, including several "buy" recommendations.

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading on Friday. Investors bought 3,169 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 211% compared to the average daily volume of 1,020 call options.

Aquestive Therapeutics Trading Up 14.8%

Shares of AQST stock traded up $0.73 on Friday, reaching $5.67. 13,722,775 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,056,085. Aquestive Therapeutics has a one year low of $2.12 and a one year high of $6.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $4.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $3.41.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Aquestive Therapeutics will post -0.46 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 shares were sold at an average price of $5.30, for a total value of $79,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 288,323 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,528,111.90. This trade represents a 4.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Cassie Jung sold 62,180 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 owned 283,346 shares in the company, valued at $1,416,730. This trade represents a 18.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 7.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of AQST. Summit Wealth & Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in the first quarter worth about $29,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in the first quarter worth about $31,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position 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 worth $31,000 after buying an additional 4,134 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics during the first quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, USAdvisors Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics during the second quarter worth about $33,000. 32.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on AQST. Zacks Research raised Aquestive Therapeutics from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Aquestive Therapeutics from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, September 8th. Lifesci Capital raised Aquestive Therapeutics to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 3rd. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $10.00 price target on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, June 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $10.29.

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.