Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Stock Price Up 7.8% Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) traded up 7.8% on Monday after Wall Street Zen upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a buy rating. The company traded as high as $2.66 and last traded at $2.63. 1,083,002 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 78% from the average session volume of 4,906,418 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.44.

ESPR has been the subject of several other research reports. Citizens Jmp upped their price target on shares of Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 target price for the company. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $7.60.

Insider Transactions at Esperion Therapeutics

In other Esperion Therapeutics news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the chief financial officer 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 15,543 shares of company stock valued at $55,709. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Esperion Therapeutics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. R Squared Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 23.5% during the 4th quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 15,173 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 2,890 shares in the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 38,955 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $144,000 after acquiring an additional 3,614 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 49.0% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 11,617 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 3,822 shares during the period. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC lifted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC now owns 46,595 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $172,000 after acquiring an additional 4,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 18.5% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 28,338 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $105,000 after acquiring an additional 4,422 shares during the period. 47.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Up 5.1%

The business has a 50 day moving average price of $3.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $3.15. The stock has a market cap of $658.72 million, a P/E ratio of -15.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.11.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last issued its 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 company had revenue of $168.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $165.12 million. On average, research analysts forecast that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current 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.