Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $8.00.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ESPR shares. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price objective for the company.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ESPR opened at $3.48 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $3.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3.05. Esperion Therapeutics has a one year low of $0.69 and a one year high of $4.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $831.93 million, a PE ratio of -6.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.09.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Esperion Therapeutics news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.67, for a total transaction of $26,926.79. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 467,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,715,816.75. The trade was 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. Insiders sold a total of 15,543 shares of company stock worth $55,709 in the last three months. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. R Squared Ltd raised its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.5% in the 4th 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 during the period. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 10.2% in the fourth 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. raised its position in shares of 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 valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 3,822 shares during the period. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 4,422 shares during the period. 47.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.