Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Shares Down 7.6% – Should You Sell?

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) shares traded down 7.6% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $2.50 and last traded at $2.5050. 1,321,978 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 73% from the average session volume of 4,917,843 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.71.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ESPR has been the topic of several research reports. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Piper Sandler started coverage on Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price target for the company. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Citizens Jmp boosted their target price on shares of Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Esperion Therapeutics currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $7.60.

Esperion Therapeutics Trading Up 3.6%

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $3.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $3.15. The stock has a market cap of $667.71 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.29, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.11.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last announced 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. Research analysts predict that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ESPR. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. grew its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 209.2% during the 3rd quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 9,430 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 6,380 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the second quarter worth $25,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the third quarter worth $29,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. 47.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.