Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $6.75.

ESPR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $4.00 target price (down from $7.00) on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $8.00 price objective on the stock. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $16.00 target price on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $4.00 price target for the company. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $6.00 price target on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Friday, December 13th.

Esperion Therapeutics Trading Down 1.2 %

ESPR opened at $1.61 on Friday. Esperion Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $1.47 and a twelve month high of $3.94. The firm has a market cap of $318.54 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.52 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $2.07.

Institutional Trading of Esperion Therapeutics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 71.0% during the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 711,278 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,174,000 after buying an additional 295,378 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $94,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 152.7% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 123,333 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 74,522 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 47.1% during the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 71,050 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $117,000 after purchasing an additional 22,734 shares during the period. Finally, Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 38.4% during the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 23,346,013 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $38,521,000 after purchasing an additional 6,483,070 shares during the period. 47.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Esperion Therapeutics Company Profile

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.