Lori Braender Sells 40,102 Shares of Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) Stock

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) insider Lori Braender sold 40,102 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 value of $167,225.34. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 442,879 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,846,805.43. This represents a 8.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Down 5.6%

AQST opened at $4.03 on Friday. Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. has a 52-week low of $2.12 and a 52-week high of $7.55. The company has a market cap of $491.82 million, a P/E ratio of -5.17 and a beta of 1.61. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $4.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.20.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported ($0.26) EPS 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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AQST has been the subject of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Lake Street Capital set a $6.00 target price on Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two equities 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aquestive Therapeutics presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $8.80.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Aquestive Therapeutics by 30.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,662,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,651,000 after buying an additional 1,333,627 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Aquestive Therapeutics by 53.7% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,462,778 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,910,000 after acquiring an additional 860,562 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,368,092 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,301,000 after acquiring an additional 280,144 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 159.4% in the 4th quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,032,822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,132,000 after acquiring an additional 1,249,044 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pale Fire Capital SE increased its stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 25.5% in the second quarter. Pale Fire Capital SE now owns 1,676,451 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,549,000 after acquiring an additional 340,767 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 32.45% of the company’s stock.

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.