Esperion Therapeutics’ (ESPR) Market Outperform Rating Reiterated at JMP Securities

JMP Securities reissued their market outperform rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) in a report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. JMP Securities currently has a $7.00 target price on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $8.00 target price for the company. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $4.00 target price on the stock. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $6.00 price objective on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Esperion Therapeutics presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $7.25.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of ESPR stock opened at $2.10 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $413.78 million, a PE ratio of -3.28 and a beta of 1.03. Esperion Therapeutics has a 1 year low of $1.58 and a 1 year high of $3.94. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $2.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2.17.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.14) by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $51.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $55.44 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.37) EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Esperion Therapeutics will post -0.28 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth $606,000. Anson Funds Management LP purchased a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics in the third quarter worth about $540,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in 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 worth $1,174,000 after acquiring an additional 295,378 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 66.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 602,936 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $995,000 after purchasing an additional 241,512 shares during the period. Finally, Wasatch Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 38.4% in 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 in the last quarter. 47.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.