Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) Receives $8.80 Average PT from Analysts

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) has earned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.80.

Several analysts recently weighed in on AQST shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Oppenheimer started coverage on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a report on Friday, April 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $8.00 target price on the stock. Lake Street Capital set a $6.00 target price on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a report on Monday, April 20th.

Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:AQST opened at $4.32 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $4.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $4.88. The stock has a market cap of $536.93 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.54 and a beta of 1.50. Aquestive Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $2.12 and a fifty-two week high of $7.55.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) last issued 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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Aquestive Therapeutics will post -0.46 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Aquestive Therapeutics

In other Aquestive Therapeutics news, insider Sherry Korczynski sold 15,741 shares of the firm’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 $65,639.97. Following the sale, the insider owned 241,117 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,005,457.89. This trade represents a 6.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Cassie Jung sold 45,791 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.17, for a total transaction of $190,948.47. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 274,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,146,666.60. The trade was a 14.28% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 395,690 shares of company stock valued at $1,650,027 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 6.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Aquestive Therapeutics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in Aquestive Therapeutics by 78.3% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,413 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 4,134 shares in the last quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the first quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the first quarter worth approximately $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.