Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) Trading Up 6.3% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) were up 6.3% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $5.41 and last traded at $5.40. 2,374,491 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 24% from the average daily volume of 3,114,089 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.08.

Trending Headlines about Aquestive Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to a loss of $0.43 from a loss of $0.51 and increased its FY2027 forecast to a loss of $0.39 from a loss of $0.52. The firm also improved estimates for several quarterly periods, indicating expectations for better-than-previously-anticipated earnings performance. HC Wainwright Reiterates Buy Rating for Aquestive Therapeutics
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly EPS estimates were raised for Q3 2026 to a loss of $0.09 from $0.13, Q4 2026 to a loss of $0.09 from $0.15, Q1 2027 to a loss of $0.09 from $0.15, Q2 2027 to a loss of $0.10 from $0.15, and Q4 2027 to a loss of $0.10 from $0.11.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the upgrades, HC Wainwright’s forecasts still call for negative EPS in each cited period. The current full-year consensus remains a loss of approximately $0.50 per share, so investors may continue to focus on Aquestive’s path toward profitability and execution of its commercial strategy.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on AQST shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Aquestive Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $10.00 target price on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Monday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $8.80.

Aquestive Therapeutics Trading Down 4.3%

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $4.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.15. The company has a market cap of $647.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.94 and a beta of 1.49.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.18) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.10) by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $13.82 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.42 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Julie Krop sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.02, for a total value of $125,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $125,500. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 6.81% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of 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 bought a new position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics during the second quarter worth $33,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in the 1st quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, ADAR1 Capital Management LLC increased 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 valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 264,000 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.