Wellington Management Group LLP Sells 42,660 Shares of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR)

Wellington Management Group LLP reduced its stake in Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) by 7.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 560,276 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 42,660 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP owned approximately 0.28% of Esperion Therapeutics worth $1,233,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 18.6% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,454,216 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $5,399,000 after purchasing an additional 385,099 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $291,000. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 43.0% during the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 81,385 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $179,000 after acquiring an additional 24,481 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp bought a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its stake in Esperion Therapeutics by 31.0% in the 4th quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 932,008 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,050,000 after purchasing an additional 220,730 shares in the last quarter. 47.39% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of ESPR opened at $1.02 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $201.81 million, a P/E ratio of -1.59 and a beta of 0.86. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. has a 1 year low of $0.93 and a 1 year high of $3.94. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $2.02.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $8.00 price target on the stock. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $4.00 price target (down previously from $7.00) on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $4.00 price objective for the company. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 target price on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $5.00 price target on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $6.58.

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.