Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Sees Large Volume Increase - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Trading volume surged: Approximately 10,152,207 shares changed hands mid‑day—an 89% increase from the prior session—while the stock traded around $2.15 and was up about 1.2%.
• Analyst outlook tilted positive: Several firms raised targets and ratings (e.g., Citizens Jmp and Needham to $5), leaving a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $7.60.
• Recent quarter was mixed: Esperion reported EPS of $0.22 (missed by $0.01) but revenue of $168.45M beat estimates; market cap is roughly $533M and institutions own about 47% of the stock.

Shares of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 10,152,207 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 89% from the previous session's volume of 5,359,720 shares.The stock last traded at $2.1540 and had previously closed at $2.05.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on ESPR. Citizens Jmp upped their target price on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Esperion Therapeutics has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $7.60.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Up 1.2%

The company has a market capitalization of $532.88 million, a P/E ratio of -12.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.17. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $2.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3.15.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.23 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $168.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $165.12 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. lifted 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 worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 6,380 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the third quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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