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

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Wall Street Zen cut Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Friday, September 19th. Piper Sandler began 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. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. One 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 given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $7.20.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $935.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.85 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $3.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $2.35.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last announced its 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 company had revenue of $87.31 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $78.33 million. As a group, research analysts expect that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Esperion Therapeutics

In related news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of Esperion Therapeutics stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.67, for a total value of $26,926.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 467,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,715,816.75. The trade was a 1.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. raised its position 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 valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 6,380 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the third quarter worth about $29,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. CWM LLC increased its stake 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 buying an additional 6,249 shares during the period. Finally, Sanders Morris Harris LLC acquired a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.