Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Insider Benjamin Looker Sells 5,708 Shares

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) insider Benjamin Looker sold 5,708 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.70, for a total transaction of $15,411.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 679,348 shares in the company, valued at $1,834,239.60. This represents a 0.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Benjamin Looker also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, January 20th, Benjamin Looker sold 1,689 shares of Esperion Therapeutics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $2.88, for a total transaction of $4,864.32.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ESPR traded down $0.20 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $2.51. 5,355,296 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,000,278. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12-month low of $0.69 and a 12-month high of $4.18. The business has a 50-day moving average of $3.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $644.59 million, a PE ratio of -14.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.11.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.23 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $168.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $165.12 million. Research analysts anticipate that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ESPR. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. raised its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 209.2% in the 3rd quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 9,430 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 6,380 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. KFG Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. 47.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on ESPR. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Citizens Jmp raised their price target on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $7.60.

About Esperion Therapeutics

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.