Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the eight analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $5.54.

ESPR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Needham & Company LLC downgraded shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. HC Wainwright lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $3.16 price objective on the stock. in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citizens Jmp cut shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st.

Insider Activity at Esperion Therapeutics

In other news, insider Benjamin Looker sold 11,824 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total transaction of $37,245.60. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 667,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,102,700.60. This represents a 1.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 10,773 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total value of $33,934.95. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 702,829 shares in the company, valued at $2,213,911.35. The trade was a 1.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. R Squared Ltd increased its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.5% during the 4th quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 15,173 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 2,890 shares in the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 10.2% in 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 purchasing an additional 3,614 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 49.0% in 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 purchasing an additional 3,822 shares in the last quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC boosted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 9.4% during the fourth quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC now owns 46,595 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $172,000 after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 18.5% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 28,338 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $105,000 after buying an additional 4,422 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of ESPR opened at $3.18 on Thursday. Esperion Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $1.10 and a 52-week high of $4.18. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $3.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3.03. The firm has a market cap of $819.45 million, a PE ratio of -53.00 and a beta of 1.07.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.10) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.02) by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $80.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $84.52 million. Esperion Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 0.14% and a net margin of 0.12%.

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.