Insider Selling: Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) CEO Sells 180,677 Shares of Stock

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) CEO Daniel Barber sold 180,677 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.17, for a total transaction of $753,423.09. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,004,753 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,189,820.01. This trade represents a 15.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Performance

Aquestive Therapeutics stock traded up $0.11 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $4.31. 1,170,828 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,614,740. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $4.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $5.22. The firm has a market cap of $525.38 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.52 and a beta of 1.61. Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $2.12 and a 52 week high of $7.55.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported ($0.26) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by ($0.13). The business had revenue of $13.02 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.28 million. Research analysts forecast that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Aquestive Therapeutics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 20.2% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 64,993 shares of the company’s stock valued at $420,000 after acquiring an additional 10,920 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Aquestive Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth $1,254,000. Numerai GP LLC acquired a new position in Aquestive Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth about $789,000. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP acquired a new position in Aquestive Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth about $365,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Aquestive Therapeutics by 19.1% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,535,369 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,918,000 after purchasing an additional 246,040 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 32.45% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AQST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Lake Street Capital set a $6.00 price target on Aquestive Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $8.80.

Key Headlines Impacting Aquestive Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst note/valuation — A Seeking Alpha write‑up reiterates a Buy on AQST and argues Anaphylm is closer to FDA approval after addressing CRL packaging/labeling issues; the author models an $8 fair value (≈87% upside), high adoption probabilities and eventual profitability by 2029 while warning additional financing may be needed by end‑2027. Aquestive Therapeutics: With Some Hiccups, Anaphylm Is Closer To FDA Approval
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrades/estimate revisions — HC Wainwright raised several near‑term EPS estimates (Q1–Q4 2026 and select 2027 quarters) and lifted its FY2026 view (from roughly -$0.61 to -$0.51), signaling modestly improved operating outlook assumptions. This reduces downside to short‑term guidance risk but the company remains loss‑making. AQST Stock Page
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry coverage — The Globe and Mail included Aquestive in a list of healthcare stocks analysts are bullish on, providing supportive media attention but no company‑specific catalytic news. Analysts Are Bullish on These Healthcare Stocks: Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA), Aquestive Therapeutics (AQST)
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate governance — Aquestive granted an inducement equity award to its Chief Medical Officer under Nasdaq rules; standard retention/compensation action (minor dilution/expense implications). Aquestive Therapeutics Announces Grant of Inducement Award Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk — Multiple law firms (Rosen, Johnson Fistel, Bernstein Liebhard, Faruqi & Faruqi, Gross Law) have announced or are soliciting plaintiffs for securities class actions covering purchases from June 16, 2025 to Jan 8, 2026; litigation could increase legal costs, management distraction and limit upside until resolved. Note deadlines for lead plaintiff motions are being publicized (e.g., May 4, 2026). AQST Investors Encouraged to Seek Lead Plaintiff Role in Aquestive Therapeutics Securities Class Action Case with Johnson Fistel
• Negative Sentiment: Market data anomaly — Short‑interest reports show a reported surge but contain inconsistent/erroneous values (zeros/NaN). If real, rising short interest would add selling pressure; current published figures appear unreliable and should be confirmed via exchange filings. (No external link provided.)

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.