Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the eight brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $5.54.

Several research firms have recently commented on ESPR. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citizens Jmp lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, HC Wainwright lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $3.16 price target for the company. in a research report on Friday, May 1st.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

ESPR stock opened at $3.15 on Friday. Esperion Therapeutics has a 1-year low of $0.95 and a 1-year high of $4.18. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $2.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $3.12. The firm has a market cap of $811.72 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -52.50 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 10,773 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were 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 represents a 1.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Benjamin Looker sold 11,824 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total transaction of $37,245.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 667,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,102,700.60. The trade was a 1.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. KFG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.