A Ernest Toth, Jr. Sells 58,254 Shares of Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) Stock

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) CFO A Ernest Toth, Jr. sold 58,254 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.17, for a total transaction of $242,919.18. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 376,112 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,568,387.04. This trade represents a 13.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Aquestive Therapeutics Trading Down 5.6%

AQST stock opened at $4.03 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $491.82 million, a PE ratio of -5.17 and a beta of 1.61. Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12 month low of $2.12 and a 12 month high of $7.55. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $4.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.20.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported ($0.26) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by ($0.13). The business had revenue of $13.02 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.28 million. Sell-side analysts forecast that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.46 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 30.8% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,662,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,651,000 after purchasing an additional 1,333,627 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Aquestive Therapeutics by 53.7% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,462,778 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,910,000 after purchasing an additional 860,562 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Aquestive Therapeutics by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,368,092 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,301,000 after purchasing an additional 280,144 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its holdings in Aquestive Therapeutics by 159.4% during the 4th quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,032,822 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,132,000 after purchasing an additional 1,249,044 shares during the period. Finally, Pale Fire Capital SE raised its position in Aquestive Therapeutics by 25.5% during the 2nd quarter. Pale Fire Capital SE now owns 1,676,451 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,549,000 after purchasing an additional 340,767 shares in the last quarter. 32.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Trending Headlines about Aquestive Therapeutics

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 outlook (less negative), providing some analytical support to the story if operating trends & regulatory progress continue. HC Wainwright Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Independent coverage (Seeking Alpha) reiterates a Buy on AQST tied to Anaphylm’s approval prospects, arguing the CRL issues are addressable (packaging/labeling) and that a planned PK study could materially lift approval odds and long‑term upside. Seeking Alpha: Anaphylm
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest feeds are reporting anomalous zero values for March (likely a data/reporting error); this should not be relied on for short‑squeeze narratives until official FINRA/DTCC reporting confirms figures. (No reliable link.)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms have announced and solicited lead‑plaintiff roles in a securities class action covering purchases from June 16, 2025 to Jan 8, 2026 — increased legal exposure and investor uncertainty that typically weighs on the stock. Representative notices from Rosen and Bernstein Liebhard. Rosen Law Firm Notice Bernstein Liebhard Alert
• Negative Sentiment: A PR Newswire item highlights a lawsuit alleging an analyst (Cantor) slashed AQST’s price target (from $15 to $8) and links that action to sharp one‑day investor losses — this amplifies contested narratives about prior disclosures and analyst influence. PR Newswire: Analyst Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Material insider selling disclosed March 10 — CEO and multiple senior officers sold large blocks at roughly $4.17, materially reducing their holdings. Markets often interpret clustered, large insider sales as a negative signal (or as evidence of liquidity needs). SEC filing for the CEO sale: SEC Filing (CEO Sale)

Aquestive Therapeutics Company Profile

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.