Benjamin Halladay Sells 10,773 Shares of Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Stock

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 10,773 shares of Esperion Therapeutics stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total value of $33,934.95. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 702,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,213,911.35. This trade represents a 1.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ESPR traded down $0.02 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $3.15. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 17,492,649 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,162,250. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12-month low of $0.95 and a 12-month high of $4.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $811.72 million, a P/E ratio of -52.50, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.07. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $2.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $3.12.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last issued 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 negative return on equity of 0.14% and a net margin of 0.12%.The company had revenue of $80.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $84.52 million.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESPR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC cut shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Piper Sandler lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report 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. Wall Street Zen upgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Esperion Therapeutics currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $5.54.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ESPR. R Squared Ltd lifted its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.5% in the 4th quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 15,173 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 2,890 shares in the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 38,955 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 3,614 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 49.0% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 11,617 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 3,822 shares during the last quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC raised its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 9.4% in the 4th quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC now owns 46,595 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $172,000 after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 18.5% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 28,338 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $105,000 after acquiring an additional 4,422 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

Esperion Therapeutics Company 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.