Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Hits New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $4.18 and last traded at $3.9450, with a volume of 6299400 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $3.84.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Up 0.4%

The company has a market cap of $921.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.67, a PEG ratio of 11.39 and a beta of 1.04. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $3.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $2.56.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.16) earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $78.33 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Esperion Therapeutics

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 value of $26,926.79. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 18.5% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 28,338 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $105,000 after acquiring an additional 4,422 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 72,705 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 4,979 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 46.5% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 19,674 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 6,249 shares during the period. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. grew its holdings 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 buying an additional 6,380 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. grew its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 40.0% in the 3rd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 35,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $93,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

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.