Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Shares Down 4.8% – Time to Sell?

Shares of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) traded down 4.8% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $3.73 and last traded at $3.7050. 2,118,899 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average session volume of 5,488,659 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.89.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESPR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Friday, September 19th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $7.20.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.45. The firm has a market cap of $883.33 million, a P/E ratio of -7.39 and a beta of 1.00.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last issued its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $87.31 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $78.33 million. On average, equities analysts predict that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Esperion Therapeutics

In other news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of Esperion Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 467,525 shares in the company, valued at $1,715,816.75. This trade represents a 1.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 161.1% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 255,480 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 157,647 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 36.0% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 761,980 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,097,000 after buying an additional 201,704 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming boosted its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 93.8% in the 1st quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 89,936 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $130,000 after buying an additional 43,526 shares during the last quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 153.5% in the 1st quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. now owns 487,735 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $702,000 after buying an additional 295,320 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the first quarter worth $278,000. 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.