Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Sets New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Shares of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $4.13 and last traded at $4.0050, with a volume of 1232615 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $4.04.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESPR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Friday, September 19th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler started coverage on Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $7.20.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $950.26 million, a P/E ratio of -7.95 and a beta of 1.01. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $3.29 and a 200 day moving average of $2.38.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.16) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.09) by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $87.31 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $78.33 million. Research analysts anticipate that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Esperion Therapeutics news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief financial officer owned 467,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,715,816.75. This trade represents a 1.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Esperion Therapeutics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. North Star Investment Management Corp. bought a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. increased its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 209.2% in the 3rd quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 9,430 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 6,380 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC bought a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. 47.39% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.