Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Downgraded to "Hold" Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Esperion Therapeutics has been downgraded from a "buy" to a "hold" rating by Wall Street Zen.
• Needham & Company has reduced its price target for the stock from $5.00 to $4.00, while HC Wainwright maintains a "buy" rating with a price target of $16.00.
• The company's stock is currently trading at $2.17, with a consensus price target of $7.00 and a reported negative net margin of 35.84%.

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Monday morning.

Several other analysts have also commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on shares of Esperion Therapeutics from $5.00 to $4.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, June 17th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $7.00.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Up 1.4%

Esperion Therapeutics stock traded up $0.03 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $2.21. 3,762,013 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,795,865. Esperion Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $0.69 and a 52-week high of $3.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $445.59 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.51 and a beta of 0.82. The business's 50-day moving average price is $1.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.33.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.17) by $0.15. Esperion Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 35.84% and a negative return on equity of 0.91%. The business had revenue of $82.39 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $62.55 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Esperion Therapeutics will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Esperion Therapeutics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Meridian Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. bought a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Esperion Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Crestline Management LP purchased a new position in Esperion Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $63,000. Finally, Synergy Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 3,496.3% in the 1st quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 31,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 30,138 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 47.39% of the company's stock.

About Esperion Therapeutics

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc, a pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes medicines for the treatment of patients with elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Its marketed products include NEXLETOL (bempedoic acid) and NEXLIZET (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe) tablets that are oral, once-daily, non-statin medicines for the treatment of primary hyperlipidemia in adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who require additional lowering of LDL-C.