Wall Street Zen Downgrades Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) to Hold

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $8.00.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of ESPR stock opened at $3.43 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $819.98 million, a PE ratio of -6.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.09. Esperion Therapeutics has a 1 year low of $0.69 and a 1 year high of $4.18. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $3.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2.96.

Insider Buying and Selling at Esperion Therapeutics

In other news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.67, for a total transaction of $26,926.79. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders sold 15,543 shares of company stock worth $55,709 in the last ninety days. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 117.0% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 5,471,611 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $20,245,000 after acquiring an additional 2,950,172 shares during the period. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $67,000. Rafferty Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 116.1% during the fourth quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 61,045 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $226,000 after acquiring an additional 32,794 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 129.7% in the fourth quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 221,088 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $818,000 after purchasing an additional 124,830 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

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.