Wall Street Zen Upgrades Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) to "Hold"

Key Points

• Esperion Therapeutics has been upgraded from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating by analysts at Wall Street Zen, reflecting a more cautious outlook on the stock.
• Despite the upgrade, several other analysts have reduced their price targets for Esperion, with an average target price currently set at $7.00.
• Esperion's stock recently showed a 3.3% increase and has a market cap of approximately $370.63 million, with a 52-week price range between $0.69 and $3.94.

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Saturday morning.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on ESPR. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, June 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC cut their price target on Esperion Therapeutics from $5.00 to $4.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Esperion Therapeutics currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $7.00.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Up 7.5%

Shares of ESPR traded up $0.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1.93. 3,803,577 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,771,923. The firm has a market capitalization of $381.53 million, a P/E ratio of -3.93 and a beta of 0.82. The business's 50-day moving average price is $1.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.31. Esperion Therapeutics has a 1 year low of $0.69 and a 1 year high of $3.94.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.02) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.17) by $0.15. Esperion Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 0.91% and a negative net margin of 35.84%. The firm had revenue of $82.39 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $62.55 million. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Esperion Therapeutics will post -0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Meridian Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. purchased a new position in Esperion Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Esperion Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Crestline Management LP purchased a new position in Esperion Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $63,000. Finally, 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 acquiring an additional 30,138 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.