Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Shares Down 6.3% – Here’s Why

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) was down 6.3% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $3.63 and last traded at $3.6350. Approximately 2,694,774 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 43% from the average daily volume of 4,757,249 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.88.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ESPR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note 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. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 price target for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Esperion Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $7.20.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $848.66 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.10, a P/E/G ratio of 11.88 and a beta of 1.04. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $3.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $2.62.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last released 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $78.33 million. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

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 stock was sold at an average price of $3.67, for a total value of $26,926.79. Following the completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. increased its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 209.2% during the third 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 during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC purchased a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the third quarter worth $29,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the third quarter worth $33,000. Traynor Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Esperion Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $53,000. Finally, CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 46.5% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 19,674 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 6,249 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

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.