Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Trading Up 6.7% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Esperion Therapeutics' stock price increased by 6.7% on Thursday, with trading volumes rising to over 6 million shares.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Esperion Therapeutics, with an average price target of $7.00.
• The company reported a negative earnings per share of ($0.02) for the last quarter, surpassing analyst expectations while achieving revenue of $82.39 million.

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) shares shot up 6.7% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $2.56 and last traded at $2.59. 6,097,189 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 21% from the average session volume of 5,030,249 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.43.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 25th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Esperion Therapeutics currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $7.00.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $523.20 million, a PE ratio of -5.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 55.71 and a beta of 0.89. The company's fifty day moving average is $2.06 and its 200-day moving average is $1.44.

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 for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.17) by $0.15. The business had revenue of $82.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $62.55 million. Esperion Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 0.91% and a negative net margin of 35.84%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Esperion Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State of Wyoming increased its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 36.2% during the second quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 122,532 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $121,000 after purchasing an additional 32,596 shares in the last quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP lifted its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 139.0% in the 2nd quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 78,715 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 45,782 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 72,705 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 4,979 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 238.3% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 485,603 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $478,000 after purchasing an additional 342,067 shares during the period. Finally, Diametric Capital LP increased its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 57.8% during the 2nd quarter. Diametric Capital LP now owns 678,824 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $668,000 after purchasing an additional 248,648 shares during the period. 47.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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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