Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR – Get Free Report) and Lexeo Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LXEO – Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability and earnings.
Risk & Volatility
Esperion Therapeutics has a beta of 1.04, suggesting that its share price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lexeo Therapeutics has a beta of 1.75, suggesting that its share price is 75% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
47.4% of Esperion Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 60.7% of Lexeo Therapeutics shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.7% of Esperion Therapeutics shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.3% of Lexeo Therapeutics shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Valuation & Earnings
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Esperion Therapeutics | $332.31 million | 2.40 | -$51.74 million | ($0.50) | -6.68 |
| Lexeo Therapeutics | N/A | N/A | -$98.33 million | ($2.70) | -2.78 |
Esperion Therapeutics has higher revenue and earnings than Lexeo Therapeutics. Esperion Therapeutics is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Lexeo Therapeutics, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Esperion Therapeutics and Lexeo Therapeutics, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Esperion Therapeutics | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2.75 |
| Lexeo Therapeutics | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 2.90 |
Esperion Therapeutics presently has a consensus price target of $7.20, indicating a potential upside of 115.57%. Lexeo Therapeutics has a consensus price target of $19.00, indicating a potential upside of 153.00%. Given Lexeo Therapeutics’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Lexeo Therapeutics is more favorable than Esperion Therapeutics.
Profitability
This table compares Esperion Therapeutics and Lexeo Therapeutics’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Esperion Therapeutics | -32.22% | N/A | -27.91% |
| Lexeo Therapeutics | N/A | -90.49% | -70.86% |
Summary
Lexeo Therapeutics beats Esperion Therapeutics on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Esperion Therapeutics
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes medicines for the treatment of patients with elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Its marketed products include NEXLETOL (bempedoic acid) and NEXLIZET (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe) tablets that are oral, once-daily, non-statin medicines for the treatment of primary hyperlipidemia in adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who require additional lowering of LDL-C. The company’s products also include NILEMDO, an ATP Citrate Lyase (ACL) inhibitor that lowers LDL-C and cardiovascular risk by reducing cholesterol biosynthesis and up-regulating the LDL receptors; and NUSTENDI, a bempedoic acid and ezetimibe tablet to treat elevated LDL-C. The company has license and collaboration agreements with Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd to; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; and Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
About Lexeo Therapeutics
Lexeo Therapeutics, Inc. operates as a clinical stage genetic medicine company that focuses on hereditary and acquired diseases. The company develops LX2006, which is an AAVrh10-based gene therapy candidate for the treatment of Friedreich's ataxia (FA) cardiomyopathy; LX2020, an AAVrh10-based gene therapy candidate for the treatment of plakophilin-2 arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy; LX2021, a gene therapy candidate for the treatment of DSP cardiomyopathy associated with it; and LX2022, a gene therapy candidate for the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM caused by TNNI3 gene. It also develops LX1001, an AAVrh10-based gene therapy candidate for the treatment of APOE4 homozygous; LX1020, a gene therapy candidate for the treatment of APOE4 homozygous; LX1021 for the treatment of APOE4 homozygotes; and LX1004 for the treatment of CLN2 Batten disease. The company was incorporated in 2017 and is based in New York, New York.
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