Key Points
- Insiders sold shares: CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 6,424 shares at about $2.71 (reducing his stake ~0.89%) and director/insider Benjamin Looker sold 5,708 shares for $15,411.60 at $2.70 (a ~0.83% stake reduction), actions that can weigh on near‑term investor sentiment.
- Mixed quarterly results and valuation: Esperion reported $0.22 EPS (missing consensus by $0.01) but revenue beat at $168.45M; the stock traded around $2.54 with a market cap of ~$651M and a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" and $7.60 target.
- Catalysts and analyst divergence: Esperion will present two CLEAR Outcomes analyses at ACC (potential longer‑term commercial impact) while several analysts raised targets or reiterated buys, even as HC Wainwright trimmed near‑term EPS estimates and one firm maintains a sell rating.
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) insider Benjamin Looker sold 5,708 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2.70, for a total transaction of $15,411.60. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 679,348 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,834,239.60. This represents a 0.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Benjamin Looker also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Tuesday, January 20th, Benjamin Looker sold 1,689 shares of Esperion Therapeutics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.88, for a total transaction of $4,864.32.
Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance
Shares of ESPR stock traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $2.54. 662,044 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,909,332. The stock has a market capitalization of $651.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -14.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.11. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. has a one year low of $0.69 and a one year high of $4.18. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $3.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3.15.
Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.23 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $168.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $165.12 million. As a group, analysts anticipate that Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. will post -0.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Key Stories Impacting Esperion Therapeutics
Here are the key news stories impacting Esperion Therapeutics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade lifted investor sentiment — Esperion was reported to have shares up after an analyst upgrade, which likely triggered the intraday rally. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Clinical visibility at ACC — Esperion will present two new analyses from the CLEAR Outcomes trial at the American College of Cardiology 2026 meeting; positive or differentiated data from those analyses could support longer-term commercial prospects and sentiment. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright trimmed near-term EPS forecasts — The firm lowered Q1–Q3 2026 EPS estimates (Q1 to ($0.09), Q2 to ($0.06), Q3 to ($0.05)) while retaining a Buy rating; reduced guidance from a covering analyst increases short-term earnings risk and may cap upside.
- Negative Sentiment: CFO insider sale — CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 6,424 shares at an average $2.71 on 3/17; the sale reduced his stake by ~0.89% (SEC filing linked). This kind of insider selling can be perceived negatively by some investors. SEC Filing
- Negative Sentiment: Another insider sale — Insider Benjamin Looker sold 5,708 shares at ~$2.70 on 3/17, a ~0.83% reduction in his holding; additional insider selling adds to near-term negative sentiment. SEC Filing
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESPR. R Squared Ltd increased its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.5% in the fourth quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 15,173 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 2,890 shares during the period. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted 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 acquiring an additional 3,614 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 3,822 shares during the period. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC grew its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 9.4% during the fourth quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC now owns 46,595 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $172,000 after acquiring an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 18.5% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 28,338 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $105,000 after acquiring an additional 4,422 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.39% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Citizens Jmp lifted their price objective on shares of Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on shares of Esperion Therapeutics from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $9.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $7.60.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on ESPR
Esperion Therapeutics Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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