Esperion Therapeutics Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:ESPR)

Posted by on Jul 10th, 2026

Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR – Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Friday. Investors acquired 8,380 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 239% compared to the average volume of 2,470 call options.

Esperion Therapeutics Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of ESPR stock traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $3.19. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 11,011,249 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,698,272. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $3.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $3.05. Esperion Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $1.10 and a 12-month high of $4.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $820.74 million, a PE ratio of -53.08 and a beta of 1.07.

Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ESPR – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Benjamin Looker sold 11,824 shares of Esperion Therapeutics 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 directly owned 667,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,102,700.60. The trade was a 1.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Benjamin Halladay sold 10,773 shares of Esperion Therapeutics 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 702,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,213,911.35. This trade represents a 1.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esperion Therapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 66.9% during the first quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 15,768,897 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $43,207,000 after purchasing an additional 6,323,138 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 23.6% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,945,454 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $55,298,000 after buying an additional 2,853,005 shares in the last quarter. Two Seas Capital LP boosted its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 22.1% in the 4th quarter. Two Seas Capital LP now owns 11,902,521 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $44,039,000 after buying an additional 2,152,797 shares during the last quarter. Orbimed Advisors LLC boosted its position in Esperion Therapeutics by 77.2% in the 1st quarter. Orbimed Advisors LLC now owns 10,570,300 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $28,963,000 after buying an additional 4,604,802 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Esperion Therapeutics by 32.4% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,930,296 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $21,942,000 after acquiring an additional 1,451,462 shares in the last quarter. 47.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ESPR. HC Wainwright lowered Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $3.16 target price on the stock. in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Esperion Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Piper Sandler lowered Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Needham & Company LLC downgraded Esperion Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered Esperion Therapeutics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $5.54.

Check Out 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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