Arcutis Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ARQT) Insider Todd Watanabe Sells 3,172 Shares of Stock

Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQT) insider Todd Watanabe sold 3,172 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.61, for a total transaction of $74,890.92. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 720,755 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,017,025.55. This represents a 0.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Todd Watanabe also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, March 2nd, Todd Watanabe sold 37,349 shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.18, for a total transaction of $940,447.82.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ:ARQT opened at $24.17 on Thursday. Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $12.42 and a 52 week high of $31.77. The firm has a market cap of $3.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -172.63 and a beta of 1.58. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $23.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 2.99 and a current ratio of 3.17.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ARQT) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by ($0.07). Arcutis Biotherapeutics had a negative net margin of 4.29% and a negative return on equity of 10.26%. The firm had revenue of $105.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $103.68 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. will post 0.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Arcutis Biotherapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong commercial performance and clinical progress: Q1 net product revenue for ZORYVE was $105.4M (up 65% YoY), the company reported positive operating cash flow, submitted an sNDA to expand ZORYVE to infants 3–24 months, completed enrollment in a pediatric MUSE trial, initiated Phase 1a/1b for ARQ‑234, and expanded the salesforce and primary care/pediatrics buildout. These developments support continued top-line growth and pipeline optionality. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst stance remains constructive: Brokerages maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” and a mid‑$30s consensus target, which can buoy investor sentiment as commercial momentum continues. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed Q1 financials: Revenue beat estimates ($105.4M vs. ~$103.7M) but GAAP EPS missed materially (loss of $0.09 vs. expected loss of $0.02). The top-line strength supports commercialization, but the EPS miss highlights continued margin/expense pressure as the company invests in growth. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Multiple insiders (including director and executives) sold shares in early May under pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plans to cover tax withholding on vested awards. While filings state routine/tax reasons, clustered sales can raise short‑term concerns about insider exposure and add selling pressure. Read More.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arcutis Biotherapeutics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ARQT. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in Arcutis Biotherapeutics in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 325.4% in the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 1,089 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 833 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Arcutis Biotherapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 124.0% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,261 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 698 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 209.0% during the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,545 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 1,045 shares during the period.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on ARQT shares. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics in a report on Thursday. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics in a report on Friday, March 27th. HC Wainwright raised their target price on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $37.00 to $35.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Arcutis Biotherapeutics has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.00.

About Arcutis Biotherapeutics

Arcutis Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for immuno-inflammatory skin diseases. The company’s research and development efforts center on targeted treatments that address the underlying biology of conditions such as plaque psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis and vitiligo. Arcutis employs a precision-medicine approach to deliver topical therapies designed to improve efficacy and tolerability compared with existing treatment options.

In August 2022, Arcutis received U.S.