Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Receives "Hold" Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Key Points

• Needham reiterated a "Hold" on Esperion and amid several recent downgrades and upgrades the stock's MarketBeat consensus rating is Hold with an average analyst target price of $5.54.
• Shares traded at $3.12 on heavy volume (28.5M vs. average 8.0M), giving a market cap of about $802M and a 52‑week range of $0.69–$4.18, with 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages near $2.55 and $3.08 respectively.
• In its latest quarter Esperion reported EPS of $0.22 (missing consensus by $0.01) and revenue of $168.45M (slightly above estimates), while analysts expect roughly $0.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold" rating restated by equities researchers at Needham & Company LLC in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on ESPR. Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday. HC Wainwright downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $3.16 target price for the company. in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Citizens Jmp boosted their target price on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $5.54.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of ESPR stock traded up $0.01 on Monday, reaching $3.12. 28,540,881 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,045,173. The stock has a market cap of $801.80 million, a PE ratio of -18.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.91. Esperion Therapeutics has a one year low of $0.69 and a one year high of $4.18. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $2.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $3.08.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESPR. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at about $278,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Esperion Therapeutics during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 3.1% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,583,988 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $4,513,000 after acquiring an additional 137,691 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 16.8% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 275,688 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $271,000 after acquiring an additional 39,658 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 93.3% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 493,929 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $486,000 after acquiring an additional 238,449 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.

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