Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) Trading Up 6.3% – Time to Buy?
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyAquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST – Get Free Report) shares were up 6.3% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $5.41 and last traded at $5.40. Approximately 2,374,491 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 24% from the average session volume of 3,114,089 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.08.
More Aquestive Therapeutics News
Here are the key news stories impacting Aquestive Therapeutics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised multiple earnings forecasts. The firm improved its EPS estimates for Q3 and Q4 2026, each to a loss of $0.09 per share from previous estimates of $0.13 and $0.15, respectively. It also raised its FY2026 estimate to a loss of $0.43 from $0.51.
- Positive Sentiment: Longer-term expectations also improved. HC Wainwright increased its FY2027 EPS forecast to a loss of $0.39 from $0.52, with quarterly 2027 estimates also revised upward. The changes suggest the analyst expects Aquestive’s losses to narrow faster than previously projected.
- Positive Sentiment: Buy rating and $10 price target reiterated. HC Wainwright maintained its “Buy” recommendation and $10 target, implying substantial upside from the stock’s recent trading level. HC Wainwright Reiterates Buy Rating for Aquestive Therapeutics
- Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data provided no meaningful signal. The report showed zero shares sold short both before and after the reporting period, making the stated increase and zero-day days-to-cover ratio unreliable and unlikely to explain the stock’s move.
- Neutral Sentiment: An article highlighted AQST’s recent rise, but the available headline did not identify a separate fundamental catalyst. Why Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Is Up
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Aquestive Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $10.00 price target on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $8.80.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on AQST
Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Up 6.3%
The firm has a market cap of $677.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.31 and a beta of 1.49. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $4.21 and its 200 day moving average is $4.14.
Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share 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 analysts’ expectations of $11.42 million. Analysts anticipate that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, Director Julie Krop sold 25,000 shares of Aquestive Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.02, for a total transaction of $125,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $125,500. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 6.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics
Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Blue Owl Capital Holdings LP acquired a new position in Aquestive Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,923,000. Latash Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,011,000. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 57.8% in the second quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 1,385,843 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,765,000 after purchasing an additional 507,527 shares in the last quarter. Walleye Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at $1,175,000. Finally, AWM Investment Company Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in the second quarter worth $1,978,000. Institutional investors own 32.45% of the company’s stock.
About Aquestive Therapeutics
Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel drug delivery systems. Leveraging its proprietary PharmFilm® technology, Aquestive designs thin-film formulations that facilitate sublingual, buccal and oral delivery of small molecules, offering rapid onset of action and improved patient compliance compared with traditional dosage forms.
The company’s lead product, Libervant® (diazepam) Buccal Film, is approved by the U.S.