Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $7.20.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 target price on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Finally, Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price objective on the stock.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Up 2.3%

ESPR opened at $4.04 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $3.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $2.42. Esperion Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $0.69 and a fifty-two week high of $4.13. The firm has a market cap of $965.80 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.08 and a beta of 1.01.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.16) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.09) by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $87.31 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $78.33 million. Research analysts anticipate that Esperion Therapeutics will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling 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 stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,715,816.75. The trade was a 1.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Esperion Therapeutics

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. North Star Investment Management Corp. bought a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 209.2% during the third quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 9,430 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 6,380 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the third quarter worth about $33,000. 47.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.