Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) CFO Benjamin Halladay Sells 6,424 Shares
by Sarita Garza · The Markets DailyEsperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR – Get Free Report) CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 6,424 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.71, for a total value of $17,409.04. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 713,602 shares in the company, valued at $1,933,861.42. This trade represents a 0.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.
Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance
NASDAQ:ESPR traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $2.54. The stock had a trading volume of 662,044 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,909,332. The stock has a market capitalization of $651.01 million, a P/E ratio of -14.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $3.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $3.15. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. has a one year low of $0.69 and a one year high of $4.18.
Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.23 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $168.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $165.12 million. Research analysts forecast that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current year.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ESPR. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. raised its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 209.2% during the 3rd quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 9,430 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 6,380 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.39% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
ESPR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Citizens Jmp lifted their price objective on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Esperion Therapeutics currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $7.60.
Read Our Latest Analysis on ESPR
More Esperion Therapeutics News
Here are the key news stories impacting Esperion Therapeutics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade lifted investor sentiment — Esperion was reported to have shares up after an analyst upgrade, which likely triggered the intraday rally. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Clinical visibility at ACC — Esperion will present two new analyses from the CLEAR Outcomes trial at the American College of Cardiology 2026 meeting; positive or differentiated data from those analyses could support longer-term commercial prospects and sentiment. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright trimmed near-term EPS forecasts — The firm lowered Q1–Q3 2026 EPS estimates (Q1 to ($0.09), Q2 to ($0.06), Q3 to ($0.05)) while retaining a Buy rating; reduced guidance from a covering analyst increases short-term earnings risk and may cap upside.
- Negative Sentiment: CFO insider sale — CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 6,424 shares at an average $2.71 on 3/17; the sale reduced his stake by ~0.89% (SEC filing linked). This kind of insider selling can be perceived negatively by some investors. SEC Filing
- Negative Sentiment: Another insider sale — Insider Benjamin Looker sold 5,708 shares at ~$2.70 on 3/17, a ~0.83% reduction in his holding; additional insider selling adds to near-term negative sentiment. SEC Filing
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.