Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Downgraded by HC Wainwright to Neutral

Key Points

• HC Wainwright downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a "buy" to a "neutral" rating, while the wider analyst mix remains varied with an average consensus of a Moderate Buy and a $8.75 average price target.
• Shares jumped 55.8% to $3.12 on Friday on heavy volume (87.15M vs. a ~6.29M average), giving the company a market cap of about $801.8 million.
• Esperion reported quarterly EPS of $0.22 (missing estimates by $0.01) and revenue of $168.45M (beating expectations); the stock trades with a negative P/E and roughly 47% institutional ownership.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at HC Wainwright from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on ESPR. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Citizens Jmp increased their target price on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $8.75.

Esperion Therapeutics Trading Up 55.8%

NASDAQ:ESPR traded up $1.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $3.12. 87,152,367 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,288,859. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $2.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.07. Esperion Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $0.69 and a 12 month high of $4.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $801.80 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -18.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.17.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.23 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $168.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $165.12 million. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Esperion Therapeutics will post 0.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. R Squared Ltd raised its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.5% in the 4th quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 15,173 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 2,890 shares during the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 10.2% in the 4th quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 38,955 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $144,000 after buying an additional 3,614 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 49.0% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 11,617 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 3,822 shares during the period. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC increased its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 9.4% in the 4th quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC now owns 46,595 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $172,000 after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 18.5% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 28,338 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 4,422 shares during the period. 47.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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