Cantor Fitzgerald Initiates Coverage on Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST)

Analysts from Cantor Fitzgerald have initiated coverage on the stock of Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST), according to a report that was released on Tuesday. In this report, the brokerage has assigned an "overweight" rating to the stock and has set a price target of $17.00. This target suggests a substantial potential upside of 372.22% compared to the company's last closing price.

Recently, other analysts have shared their insights on Aquestive Therapeutics as well. For example, Leerink Partners raised their price objective for the stock from $12.00 to $13.00 and also rated it as "outperform" in a report published on October 25th. On November 6th, HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating and set a price target of $10.00 for the stock. Additionally, on October 8th, JMP Securities maintained a "market outperform" rating with a target price of $9.00. In total, six analysts have rated the stock as a buy, while one has given it a strong buy rating. According to MarketBeat data, Aquestive Therapeutics currently holds a consensus rating of "Buy" along with a consensus price target of $11.00.

Current Stock Performance of Aquestive Therapeutics

As of Tuesday, the stock of Aquestive Therapeutics opened at $3.60 per share. Over the past twelve months, the stock has seen a low of $1.84 and a high of $6.23. The company's 50-day moving average stands at $4.83, while the 200-day moving average is at $4.06. Presently, the firm has a market capitalization of approximately $328.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.00, and a beta of 2.62, indicating greater volatility than the market.

Aquestive Therapeutics recently disclosed its quarterly earnings in a report released on November 4th. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of ($0.13), which fell short of analysts' expectations that estimated a loss of ($0.12) by a margin of ($0.01). The total revenue reported for the quarter was $13.54 million, exceeding analysts' predictions of $12.69 million. In the same period last year, the business recorded an EPS of ($0.03). Analysts predict that the company will report an EPS of -0.47 for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors and Recent Activity

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in Aquestive Therapeutics. Notably, State Street Corp increased its shareholdings in the company by 52.1% in the third quarter, acquiring an additional 512,682 shares to bring its total to 1,496,739 shares valued at approximately $7.45 million. Likewise, Blue Owl Capital Holdings LP raised its investment in the company by 30.3% in the second quarter, now owning 1,140,000 shares valued at nearly $2.96 million after purchasing 265,000 additional shares. Other significant investors include the Bank of New York Mellon Corp, which took a new position worth about $594,000, and Verition Fund Management LLC, which invested around $995,000 during the same period. Overall, hedge funds and institutional investors collectively hold about 32.45% of the company's stock.

About Aquestive Therapeutics

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. is a pharmaceutical firm operating both in the United States and internationally. The company specializes in marketing several products including Sympazan, an oral soluble film formulation of clobazam used in the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome; Suboxone, a sublingual film formulation of buprenorphine and naloxone for treating opioid dependence; Zuplenz, an oral soluble film for managing nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy and post-surgical recovery; and Azstarys, a once-daily treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

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