Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

ESPR has been the subject of several other research reports. Piper Sandler began coverage on Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Esperion Therapeutics has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $7.20.

Esperion Therapeutics Trading Down 4.5%

Shares of ESPR stock opened at $3.39 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $3.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.82. The company has a market cap of $810.41 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.25 and a beta of 1.04. Esperion Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $0.69 and a 12-month high of $4.18.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.16) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.09) by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $87.31 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $78.33 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that Esperion Therapeutics will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Esperion Therapeutics

In related news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of the company’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 value of $26,926.79. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 467,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,715,816.75. This represents a 1.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders have sold 15,543 shares of company stock valued at $55,709. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Esperion Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. R Squared Ltd raised its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.5% during the fourth quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 15,173 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 2,890 shares in the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 10.2% in the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in 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 worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 3,822 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position 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 during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 7.4% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 72,705 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 4,979 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

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.