Wasatch Advisors LP Has $43.21 Million Stake in Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. $ESPR

Wasatch Advisors LP increased its stake in Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) by 66.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,768,897 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,323,138 shares during the quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP owned 6.13% of Esperion Therapeutics worth $43,207,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ESPR. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,945,454 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $55,298,000 after purchasing an additional 2,853,005 shares during the period. Two Seas Capital LP raised its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 22.1% during the fourth quarter. Two Seas Capital LP now owns 11,902,521 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $44,039,000 after purchasing an additional 2,152,797 shares during the period. Orbimed Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at about $22,072,000. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 32.4% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,930,296 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $21,942,000 after purchasing an additional 1,451,462 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 20.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,737,651 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $21,234,000 after purchasing an additional 986,255 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Esperion Therapeutics

In other news, insider Benjamin Looker sold 11,824 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $2,102,700.60. This represents a 1.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 10,773 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total transaction of $33,934.95. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 702,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,213,911.35. This represents a 1.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of Esperion Therapeutics stock opened at $3.17 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $816.88 million, a PE ratio of -52.83 and a beta of 1.07. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $0.95 and a 52 week high of $4.18. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $2.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $3.09.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last announced its 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 company had revenue of $80.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $84.52 million.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on ESPR shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen raised Esperion Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Citizens Jmp downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, HC Wainwright lowered Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $3.16 target price on the stock. in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $5.54.

About Esperion Therapeutics

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.