Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Stock Price Down 4.8% – What’s Next?
by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat GemShares of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR – Get Free Report) were down 4.8% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $3.73 and last traded at $3.7050. Approximately 2,118,899 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average daily volume of 5,488,659 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.89.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research analysts have issued reports on ESPR shares. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Friday, September 19th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $7.20.
Read Our Latest Research Report on ESPR
Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance
The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $3.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $2.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $884.52 million, a PE ratio of -7.40 and a beta of 1.01.
Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.16) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.09) by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $87.31 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $78.33 million. On average, analysts predict that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
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 owned 467,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,715,816.75. The trade was a 1.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Esperion Therapeutics
Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,092,449 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $32,045,000 after purchasing an additional 375,620 shares during the period. Two Seas Capital LP lifted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 43.6% in the 2nd quarter. Two Seas Capital LP now owns 9,954,975 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $9,800,000 after purchasing an additional 3,024,104 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 46.2% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 5,312,252 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $5,206,000 after buying an additional 1,679,294 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 3.1% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,583,988 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $4,513,000 after purchasing an additional 137,691 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AIGH Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at about $7,950,000. 47.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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.