Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Shares Gap Up - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Esperion Therapeutics' stock price increased from $2.90 to $3.06 before the market opened, reaching a last trading price of $3.30 with over 3.4 million shares traded.
• Analyst ratings are mixed, with four analysts recommending a Buy rating, one a Hold, and one a Sell, resulting in an average target price of $7.00.
• The company reported a better-than-expected earnings per share of ($0.02), surpassing estimates and generating revenues of $82.39 million for the quarter.

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $2.90, but opened at $3.06. Esperion Therapeutics shares last traded at $3.30, with a volume of 3,419,277 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 26th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Saturday, September 27th. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $16.00 price objective on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $7.00.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $2.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.49. The stock has a market cap of $665.35 million, a PE ratio of -6.73, a PEG ratio of 48.85 and a beta of 0.96.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.17) by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $82.39 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $62.55 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ESPR. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 116.1% during the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 143,252 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $315,000 after purchasing an additional 76,965 shares during the last quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 3,496.3% during the first quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC now owns 31,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 30,138 shares during the period. Summit Wealth Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 86.6% during the first quarter. Summit Wealth Group LLC now owns 293,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $422,000 after buying an additional 136,000 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC grew its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 33.2% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 40,106 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foundations Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 66.3% during the 1st quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 50,172 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 20,000 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.

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