Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Shares of Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) gapped up prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $3.94, but opened at $4.35. Aquestive Therapeutics shares last traded at $4.5320, with a volume of 1,804,451 shares traded.

Trending Headlines about Aquestive Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Aquestive reported positive topline human-factors and pharmacokinetic results for Anaphylm (dibutepinephrine) sublingual film, suggesting improved product usability and supportive drug exposure data. The update strengthens the case for ongoing regulatory and commercial preparation, although it does not represent regulatory approval. Aquestive Therapeutics Announces Positive Topline Human Factors and Pharmacokinetic Study Results for Anaphylm
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue rose to $13.82 million, exceeding analysts’ $11.42 million estimate. The revenue beat indicates better near-term performance than expected and may have helped offset the earnings miss. Aquestive Therapeutics Reports Q2 Loss, Tops Revenue Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s business update focused investor attention on Anaphylm’s regulatory progress and preparations for potential commercialization. The opportunity remains dependent on additional regulatory milestones and execution. Aquestive Therapeutics Regulatory Progress and Commercial Preparation
• Negative Sentiment: Aquestive posted a second-quarter loss of $0.18 per share, wider than the $0.10 expected loss and the $0.14 loss reported a year earlier. The larger deficit highlights continuing cash-burn and profitability risk. Aquestive Therapeutics Q2 Loss Widens, Revenue Rises
• Negative Sentiment: Full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $46 million to $50 million trails the approximately $50.8 million consensus estimate, signaling a potentially slower revenue outlook than investors had anticipated.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, April 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $8.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Aquestive Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $8.50.

Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $553.31 million, a P/E ratio of -7.23 and a beta of 1.49. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $4.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $4.06.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.10) by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $13.82 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.42 million. As a group, analysts expect that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Aquestive Therapeutics news, CEO Daniel Barber sold 8,257 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.29, for a total transaction of $35,422.53. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 660,574 shares in the company, valued at $2,833,862.46. This represents a 1.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Julie Krop sold 25,000 shares of Aquestive Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.02, for a total value of $125,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,000 shares in the company, valued at $125,500. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 6.81% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at about $28,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 78.3% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,413 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 4,134 shares during the last quarter. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 103.9% in the 1st quarter. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC now owns 10,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 264,000 shares during the last quarter. Modern Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics during the 1st quarter worth approximately $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 32.45% of the company’s stock.

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.