Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. $ESPR Shares Purchased by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) by 1,621.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 580,705 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 546,964 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Esperion Therapeutics were worth $1,591,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESPR. R Squared Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 2,890 shares during the period. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in 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 worth $144,000 after acquiring an additional 3,614 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 49.0% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 11,617 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 3,822 shares in the last quarter. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC raised its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 9.4% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 18.5% in the fourth 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 and hedge funds own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Esperion Therapeutics news, insider Benjamin Looker sold 11,824 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total transaction of $37,245.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 667,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,102,700.60. This trade represents a 1.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 10,773 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.15, for a total value of $33,934.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 702,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,213,911.35. This trade represents a 1.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Piper Sandler cut shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citizens Jmp downgraded shares of Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating 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 given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $5.54.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of ESPR opened at $3.18 on Tuesday. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12-month low of $1.10 and a 12-month high of $4.18. The stock has a market cap of $819.45 million, a P/E ratio of -53.00 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a 50-day moving average of $3.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $2.97.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.10) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $80.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $84.52 million.

Esperion Therapeutics 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.