Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) Given New $5.00 Price Target at Needham & Company LLC

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR) had its price objective hoisted by Needham & Company LLC from $4.00 to $5.00 in a research note released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Needham & Company LLC currently has a buy rating on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Wall Street Zen cut Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $9.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $8.25.

Esperion Therapeutics Price Performance

ESPR stock opened at $2.91 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $3.46 and its 200-day moving average is $3.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $695.66 million, a PE ratio of -5.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.11. Esperion Therapeutics has a 1 year low of $0.69 and a 1 year high of $4.18.

Insider Buying and Selling at Esperion Therapeutics

In other news, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 7,337 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.67, for a total value of $26,926.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 467,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,715,816.75. This represents a 1.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In the last quarter, insiders sold 15,543 shares of company stock valued at $55,709. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics during the 1st quarter valued at $278,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Esperion Therapeutics during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Summit Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 10.2% during the second quarter. Summit Wealth Group LLC now owns 323,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $318,000 after buying an additional 30,000 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 3.1% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,583,988 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $4,513,000 after buying an additional 137,691 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 30.4% in the second quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 123,040 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $121,000 after acquiring an additional 28,695 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 47.39% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Esperion Therapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting Esperion Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition expands commercial portfolio with an FDA‑approved, first‑in‑class intranasal diuretic (ENBUMYST) for edema tied to CHF and hepatic/renal disease; deal adds an approved product, a large U.S. market opportunity (> $4B), and potential double‑digit revenue growth (upfront $75M, up to $180M milestones, royalties). Esperion and Corstasis Announce Definitive Agreement
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support improved: Needham raised its price target from $4 to $5 and kept a Buy rating, signaling buy‑side conviction that the deal and product can boost revenue. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Company held an M&A conference call; a full transcript provides more detail on integration plans and timing — useful for investors wanting disclosure color and management guidance. Esperion M&A Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Financing approach: Esperion plans to fund the deal via existing credit facilities and royalty monetization (Japanese royalties managed by Athyrium/HCRx) — supports the purchase but adds leverage/royalty obligations to monitor. TipRanks: Esperion to Acquire Corstasis
• Neutral Sentiment: Near‑term event risk: Esperion is projected to report earnings soon — another potential catalyst for volatility as investors digest upcoming results against the acquisition news. Esperion Projected to Post Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data in recent feeds appears inconsistent (reports of large increases but showing 0 shares / NaN), so short‑interest signals are unclear and should be treated cautiously.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling has been reported (multiple sales by executives in recent months), which may raise governance or confidence concerns for some investors. QuiverQuant: Esperion Acquires Corstasis
• Negative Sentiment: Deal risk: downstream milestones and commercial execution are uncertain — the acquisition’s upside depends on successful integration, uptake of ENBUMYST, and meeting milestone triggers; failure to meet expectations could pressure the stock.

About Esperion Therapeutics

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.