Brokerages Set Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) PT at $8.00

Shares of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.00.

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on ESPR shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Piper Sandler started coverage on Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of Esperion Therapeutics stock opened at $3.57 on Monday. Esperion Therapeutics has a one year low of $0.69 and a one year high of $4.18. The company has a market cap of $853.44 million, a P/E ratio of -7.14, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.09. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $3.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.02.

Insider Transactions at Esperion Therapeutics

In other news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of Esperion Therapeutics stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.67, for a total transaction of $26,926.79. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 467,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,715,816.75. This trade represents a 1.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 15,543 shares of company stock valued at $55,709 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.5% during the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 336,992 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,241,000 after purchasing an additional 64,034 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at about $599,000. nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new position in Esperion Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at about $250,000. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Esperion Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth about $657,000. Finally, Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Esperion Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth about $960,000. 47.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.