Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.60.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on AQST shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $11.00 price target on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $10.00 target price on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a report on Monday, August 24th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Aquestive Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 12th.

Aquestive Therapeutics Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of AQST stock opened at $4.76 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $4.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.33. Aquestive Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $2.93 and a twelve month high of $7.55. The company has a market capitalization of $597.44 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.32 and a beta of 1.49.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.10) by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $13.82 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.42 million. As a group, research analysts predict that Aquestive Therapeutics will post -0.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Aquestive Therapeutics

In other news, CEO Daniel Barber sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 approximately $3,144,167.94. This represents a 3.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Sherry Korczynski sold 8,750 shares of the firm’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 sale, the insider owned 235,689 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,230,296.58. This trade represents a 3.58% decrease in their position. 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.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in Aquestive Therapeutics in the second quarter worth about $210,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP grew its position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 20.5% in the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 49,879 shares of the company’s stock worth $207,000 after acquiring an additional 8,496 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $60,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 301,647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,255,000 after buying an additional 11,587 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Aquestive Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at approximately $252,000. Institutional investors own 32.45% of the company’s stock.

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.