Masaru Matsuda Sells 1,230 Shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ARQT) Stock

Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQT) insider Masaru Matsuda sold 1,230 shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.12, for a total transaction of $32,127.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 126,171 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,295,586.52. This trade represents a 0.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 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.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics Stock Performance

ARQT opened at $26.43 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.46, a current ratio of 2.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market cap of $3.31 billion, a PE ratio of 125.86 and a beta of 1.49. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $24.69. Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $13.69 and a fifty-two week high of $31.77.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ARQT) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.05. Arcutis Biotherapeutics had a return on equity of 15.93% and a net margin of 6.15%.The company had revenue of $129.86 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $118.85 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. will post 0.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Arcutis Biotherapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Needham raises price target: Needham & Company raised its price target on ARQT to $40 from $36 and reiterated a “Buy” rating, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. Benzinga analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results and higher guidance: Arcutis reported earnings of $0.11 per share, above estimates of $0.06-$0.09, while revenue of $129.9 million exceeded expectations of $118.9 million. Revenue increased 59% year over year and 23% sequentially, driven by demand for ZORYVE. Management raised 2026 net product sales guidance to $525 million-$540 million and reported positive operating cash flow. Arcutis second-quarter 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Additional ZORYVE growth opportunities: The FDA approved ZORYVE cream for plaque psoriasis in children as young as two. The FDA also accepted an application for infants with atopic dermatitis, with a decision expected by February 2027. Results from a Phase 2 vitiligo study are expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. Arcutis business update
• Neutral Sentiment: Routine insider selling: Three executives sold a combined 6,560 shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans to cover tax withholding tied to vested equity awards. Because the sales were administrative and represented less than 1% of each executive’s holdings, they provide limited evidence of bearish conviction. SEC insider trading filing

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on ARQT. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $34.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on shares of Arcutis Biotherapeutics from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Six investment 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 presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $35.57.

Institutional Trading of Arcutis Biotherapeutics

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Arcutis Biotherapeutics in the second quarter valued at about $8,655,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Arcutis Biotherapeutics in the second quarter worth approximately $265,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new position in Arcutis Biotherapeutics in the second quarter worth approximately $860,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its position in Arcutis Biotherapeutics by 6.1% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 43,800 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,148,000 after acquiring an additional 2,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new stake in Arcutis Biotherapeutics in the first quarter valued at approximately $609,000.

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.