Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) CEO Daniel Barber Sells 180,677 Shares

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) CEO Daniel Barber sold 180,677 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.17, for a total transaction of $753,423.09. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,004,753 shares in the company, valued at $4,189,820.01. This trade represents a 15.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Aquestive Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of AQST stock traded down $0.04 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $4.24. The company had a trading volume of 133,408 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,510,602. The stock has a market capitalization of $516.84 million, a PE ratio of -5.43 and a beta of 1.61. The company’s fifty day moving average is $4.08 and its 200 day moving average is $5.21. Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $2.12 and a fifty-two week high of $7.55.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported ($0.26) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by ($0.13). The company had revenue of $13.02 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.28 million. Equities analysts forecast that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Aquestive Therapeutics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aquestive Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised several near‑term EPS estimates and lifted its FY2026 view (less negative) — modest analytical support for the story and potential relief if guidance/progress continues. HC Wainwright Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Independent coverage remains constructive on Anaphylm: a Seeking Alpha piece reiterates a Buy and argues the CRL issues are addressable (packaging/labeling), forecasting a high approval/adoption probability if the planned PK study succeeds. That supports upside tied to regulatory progress. Seeking Alpha: Anaphylm
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data in feeds is currently reporting anomalous/zero values (likely data error) and should not be relied on for a short‑squeeze narrative until official reporting clears up. (No reliable link.)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms and notice filings indicate a securities class action has been filed and several firms are soliciting lead‑plaintiff roles for purchasers from June 16, 2025 to Jan 8, 2026 — this increases legal exposure, potential costs, and investor uncertainty. Representative notices: Bernstein Liebhard, Rosen, Portnoy/others. Bernstein Liebhard Alert Portnoy Notice
• Negative Sentiment: A PRNewswire item highlights a lawsuit alleging an analyst (Cantor) slashed AQST’s price target from $15 to $8 (Jan 9), linking that cut to a >37% one‑day loss for certain holders — adds a contested narrative about analyst conduct and market impact. PR Newswire: Analyst Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales were disclosed on March 10 (CEO and multiple senior officers sold sizeable blocks at ~ $4.17), reducing insider ownership materially — often interpreted by markets as a negative signal about near‑term prospects or liquidity needs. Representative SEC filing (CEO): SEC Filing (CEO Sale)

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Aquestive Therapeutics by 12.2% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 129,019 shares of the company’s stock worth $374,000 after purchasing an additional 14,025 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 31.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 20,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 4,752 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 16.2% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,977,001 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,545,000 after buying an additional 276,295 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning grew its position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 15.3% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 98,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $327,000 after buying an additional 13,130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 30.1% during the second quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 54,393 shares of the company’s stock worth $180,000 after buying an additional 12,600 shares during the period. 32.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AQST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Lake Street Capital set a $6.00 target price on Aquestive Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Aquestive Therapeutics presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $8.80.

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.