Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST) Shares Sold by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQST - Free Report) by 22.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,134,796 shares of the company's stock after selling 631,746 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 2.34% of Aquestive Therapeutics worth $7,600,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. PKS Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Aquestive Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $63,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC increased its holdings in Aquestive Therapeutics by 475.7% in the fourth quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 135,797 shares of the company's stock valued at $483,000 after buying an additional 112,210 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Aquestive Therapeutics by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,346,754 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,474,000 after buying an additional 82,958 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics by 120.0% in the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 39,677 shares of the company's stock worth $141,000 after acquiring an additional 21,645 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Aquestive Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth about $498,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 32.45% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on AQST shares. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Aquestive Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $17.00 price target on the stock. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $10.00 price target on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Alliance Global Partners restated a "buy" rating on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Lake Street Capital decreased their price target on shares of Aquestive Therapeutics from $10.00 to $8.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Finally, Raymond James set a $7.00 price target on Aquestive Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $10.67.

Aquestive Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of AQST stock traded up $0.08 on Tuesday, hitting $2.60. 286,669 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,569,923. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $2.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3.74. Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. has a twelve month low of $2.20 and a twelve month high of $5.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $256.57 million, a PE ratio of -5.77 and a beta of 2.59.

Aquestive Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AQST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 5th. The company reported ($0.19) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.14) by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $11.87 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.11 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Aquestive Therapeutics Profile

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc operates as a pharmaceutical company in the United States and internationally. The company markets Sympazan, an oral soluble film formulation of clobazam for the treatment of lennox-gastaut syndrome; Suboxone, a sublingual film formulation of buprenorphine and naloxone for the treatment of opioid dependence; Zuplenz, an oral soluble film formulation of ondansetron for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and post-operative recovery; and Azstarys, a once-daily product for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.