Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Given New $4.00 Price Target at Needham & Company LLC

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) had its price target lowered by stock analysts at Needham & Company LLC from $5.00 to $4.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock. Needham & Company LLC’s target price points to a potential upside of 310.05% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on ESPR. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, April 25th. JMP Securities restated a “market outperform” rating and set a $4.00 target price (down previously from $7.00) on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $6.25.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Down 7.1 %

Shares of ESPR opened at $0.98 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $1.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $193.29 million, a PE ratio of -1.52 and a beta of 0.75. Esperion Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $0.82 and a 12-month high of $3.94.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $65.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $54.97 million. Analysts anticipate that Esperion Therapeutics will post -0.29 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 99.6% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 309,671 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $510,000 after purchasing an additional 154,509 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,069,117 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $3,414,000 after buying an additional 19,588 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 96.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 151,482 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $333,000 after buying an additional 74,433 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. bought a new position in Esperion Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, Foundations Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 48.6% in the fourth quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 30,172 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 9,872 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.