Insider Selling: Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) CFO Sells $33,934.95 in Stock

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 10,773 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total value of $33,934.95. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 702,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,213,911.35. This trade represents a 1.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of ESPR stock opened at $3.15 on Friday. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $0.95 and a 52 week high of $4.18. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $2.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3.12. The company has a market capitalization of $811.72 million, a P/E ratio of -52.50 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on ESPR. Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. HC Wainwright downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $3.16 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $5.54.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESPR. R Squared Ltd grew its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.5% during the fourth quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 15,173 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 2,890 shares in the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position 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 buying 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% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 11,617 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 3,822 shares during the period. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 9.4% during the 4th quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC now owns 46,595 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $172,000 after acquiring an additional 4,000 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 18.5% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 28,338 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $105,000 after acquiring an additional 4,422 shares in the last quarter. 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.