AIGH Capital Management LLC Has $12.06 Million Stake in Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. $ESPR

Key Points

• AIGH Capital Management boosted its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 10% in Q1, ending with 4.4 million shares worth about $12.06 million and making ESPR its 17th-largest holding.
• Esperion reported a Q1 EPS miss of -$0.10 versus the -$0.02 estimate, while revenue of $80.1 million also came in below expectations.
• Analyst sentiment has softened: several firms cut ratings to Hold, and the stock now carries an average Hold rating with a $5.54 price target.

AIGH Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR - Free Report) by 10.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,400,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after buying an additional 400,000 shares during the period. Esperion Therapeutics accounts for about 1.6% of AIGH Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. AIGH Capital Management LLC owned approximately 1.71% of Esperion Therapeutics worth $12,056,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of ESPR. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Esperion Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. KFG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth $39,000. 47.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance

ESPR opened at $3.19 on Thursday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $3.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.05. The firm has a market cap of $822.03 million, a PE ratio of -53.17 and a beta of 1.07. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. has a twelve month low of $1.10 and a twelve month high of $4.18.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.10) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by ($0.08). Esperion Therapeutics had a net margin of 0.12% and a negative return on equity of 0.14%. The firm had revenue of $80.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $84.52 million.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on ESPR shares. Jefferies Financial Group cut Esperion Therapeutics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Citizens Jmp lowered Esperion Therapeutics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. HC Wainwright cut Esperion Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $3.16 target price on the stock. in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut Esperion Therapeutics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $5.54.

Insider Activity

In other Esperion Therapeutics news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 10,773 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total value of $33,934.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 702,829 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,213,911.35. The trade was a 1.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Benjamin Looker sold 11,824 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total value of $37,245.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 667,524 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,102,700.60. This trade represents a 1.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Esperion Therapeutics 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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