Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the eight brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has given a hold recommendation, five have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $7.20.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on ESPR shares. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Piper Sandler started coverage on Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Esperion Therapeutics

In related news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of Esperion Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.67, for a total value of $26,926.79. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 467,525 shares in the company, valued at $1,715,816.75. This trade represents a 1.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Esperion Therapeutics

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 161.1% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 255,480 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $368,000 after purchasing an additional 157,647 shares in the last quarter. Two Seas Capital LP boosted its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 43.6% in the 2nd quarter. Two Seas Capital LP now owns 9,954,975 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $9,800,000 after purchasing an additional 3,024,104 shares in the last quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. increased its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 153.5% during the 1st quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. now owns 487,735 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $702,000 after purchasing an additional 295,320 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 1,174.2% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 127,424 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $125,000 after buying an additional 117,424 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 36.0% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 761,980 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,097,000 after buying an additional 201,704 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Up 0.3%

NASDAQ:ESPR opened at $3.70 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $884.52 million, a PE ratio of -7.40 and a beta of 1.04. Esperion Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $0.69 and a 52-week high of $4.13. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $3.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $2.48.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.16) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.09) by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $87.31 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $78.33 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Esperion Therapeutics will post -0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Esperion Therapeutics Company Profile

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of oral, low–density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)–lowering therapies. The company’s research and development efforts center on small-molecule compounds designed to address atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by targeting cholesterol biosynthesis pathways. Esperion seeks to provide novel treatment options for patients who require additional LDL-C reduction beyond what is achieved with statins or who are statin-intolerant.

The company’s lead products include NEXLETOL (bempedoic acid), an oral adenosine triphosphate–citrate lyase (ACL) inhibitor approved by the U.S.