Arcutis Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ARQT) Stock: Insider Todd Watanabe Sells 4,377 Shares

Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQT) insider Todd Watanabe sold 4,377 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.86, for a total transaction of $139,451.22. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 712,826 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,710,636.36. This represents a 0.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics Trading Down 20.7%

Shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics stock opened at $27.00 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 128.58 and a beta of 1.66. Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. has a 12-month low of $19.30 and a 12-month high of $34.80. The company has a current ratio of 2.92, a quick ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ARQT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $143.92 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $142.59 million. Arcutis Biotherapeutics had a return on equity of 14.96% and a net margin of 5.88%. Analysts predict that Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. will post 0.43 EPS for the current year.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Arcutis began enrolling participants in a Phase 3 trial of ZORYVE cream 0.3% for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Success could expand the treatment’s use and address a broader patient population, though the study is an early-stage catalyst rather than near-term revenue. Phase 3 study announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue was $143.92 million, modestly ahead of the approximately $142.6 million analyst consensus, providing a partial offset to the earnings miss. Quarterly earnings report
• Neutral Sentiment: Rob Lisicki was appointed chief commercial officer, effective November 4. The leadership change may support commercial execution, but its impact on sales remains to be seen. Chief commercial officer appointment
• Neutral Sentiment: Several executives reported share sales, including a larger sale by EVP Masaru Matsuda under a pre-arranged trading plan. Some reported transactions were to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, which makes them less clearly bearish, though insider selling may attract investor attention. SEC insider filing
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter earnings were $0.06 per share, well below analysts’ estimates of roughly $0.17–$0.18 and unchanged from a year earlier. The earnings miss was the clearest near-term pressure on the stock, despite the modest revenue beat. Report on the earnings miss

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $39.00 price target on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC set a $40.00 price objective on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $39.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arcutis Biotherapeutics

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 6,472.7% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 23,136 shares of the company’s stock valued at $611,000 after acquiring an additional 22,784 shares during the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System purchased a new position in shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $674,000. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics in the third quarter worth approximately $2,628,000. Candriam S.C.A. boosted its stake in shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 5.7% in the third quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 1,003,729 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,625,000 after acquiring an additional 53,890 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics in the third quarter worth approximately $679,000.

About Arcutis Biotherapeutics

Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and delivering treatments for dermatologic conditions. The company’s portfolio is centered on therapies designed to address inflammatory skin diseases, with an emphasis on nonsteroidal topical medicines that may help patients manage chronic conditions.

Arcutis’s lead product is ZORYVE (roflumilast), a topical phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor. ZORYVE has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals for multiple dermatological uses, including plaque psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis, in different cream and foam formulations.