Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Shares Gap Up - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Esperion Therapeutics shares rose slightly, opening at $2.83 after closing at $2.75, with a last traded price of $2.86 and a trading volume of over 2.7 million shares.
• Wall Street analysts have mixed ratings for Esperion, with HC Wainwright maintaining a buy rating and a price target of $16, while others have shifted to a hold rating, resulting in a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."
• The company reported earnings of ($0.02) per share, exceeding expectations, and generated revenues of $82.39 million in the last quarter, significantly above analysts’ forecast of $62.55 million.

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) shares gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $2.75, but opened at $2.83. Esperion Therapeutics shares last traded at $2.86, with a volume of 2,724,429 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on ESPR shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, August 25th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $16.00 price target on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Friday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $7.00.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

The business's fifty day moving average price is $1.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $562.92 million, a PE ratio of -5.72, a P/E/G ratio of 61.10 and a beta of 0.89.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $82.39 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $62.55 million. Esperion Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 35.84% and a negative return on equity of 0.91%. On average, analysts expect that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Meridian Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. purchased a new position in Esperion Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 30,138 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rafferty Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth about $82,000. 47.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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