Aquestive Therapeutics Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:AQST)

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) saw some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock traders bought 23,178 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 398% compared to the typical volume of 4,653 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AQST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JMP Securities upped their price target on Aquestive Therapeutics from $9.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Aquestive Therapeutics from $5.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Zacks Research raised Aquestive Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Citigroup restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $8.83.

Trending Headlines about Aquestive Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual bullish options activity — investors bought roughly 23,178 call contracts (≈398% above normal), a sign of speculative conviction that the stock may rebound or that news could turn favorable.
• Positive Sentiment: Management provided a public transcript discussing the CRL and next steps (resubmission/engagement with FDA), which appears to have reassured some investors and fueled the rally. AQST Discusses FDA CRL and Next Steps (Transcript)
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading was temporarily halted this morning for “news pending,” which can amplify volatility when paired with heavy flows but does not indicate direction by itself.
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data for February appears to show 0 shares (likely a reporting anomaly) and gives no clear read on short pressure or covering dynamics.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory setback — the U.S. FDA issued a Complete Response Letter declining approval of Anaphylm (dibutepinephrine) sublingual film, a material negative for the company’s lead asset and near-term commercialization prospects. Reuters: US FDA declines to approve Aquestive’s oral drug
• Negative Sentiment: Heightened legal risk — multiple law firms have announced investigations and potential class actions alleging securities-law violations, which could lead to litigation costs, management distraction or disclosure risk. BusinessWire: Schall Law Firm investor notice Newsfile: Levi & Korsinsky notice

Aquestive Therapeutics Trading Up 39.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:AQST opened at $4.10 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $500.20 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.77 and a beta of 1.65. Aquestive Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $2.12 and a 12-month high of $7.55. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $5.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.22.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $12.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.94 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Aquestive Therapeutics will post -0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aquestive Therapeutics

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AQST. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics during the third quarter worth about $28,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in Aquestive Therapeutics by 78.3% during 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 period. USAdvisors Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Modern Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Aquestive Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Daymark Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in the second quarter worth $58,000. 32.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.