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Esperion (ESPR)
NASDAQ:ESPR

Esperion (ESPR) AI Stock Analysis

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ESPR

Esperion

(NASDAQ:ESPR)

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Neutral 46 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:46Neutral
Price Target:
$3.00
▼(-4.15% Downside)
The score is held down primarily by weak financial fundamentals—negative equity, sizable leverage, and ongoing cash burn despite improving revenues and narrower losses. Technicals are also soft in the near term (price below short-term averages with low RSI), while valuation provides limited support due to losses and no dividend data. The earnings call was a clear positive with strong growth and franchise protection (generic delay to 2040), but it is not yet sufficient to offset the balance-sheet and cash-flow risks.
Positive Factors
Long-term franchise protection
Securing exclusivity until 2040 materially reduces the risk of near- and mid-term generic erosion, preserving a predictable revenue runway for Nexletol/Nexlizet. This structural protection supports investment in commercialization and pipeline development over many years.
Rapid recent revenue and commercial traction
Strong top-line acceleration and sequential prescription growth indicate scalable commercial execution and growing market penetration. Durable revenue momentum from both product and collaboration channels supports a path toward profitability if sustained.
Strategic partnerships and international growth
Meaningful international partnerships diversify revenue streams and lower commercialization risk outside the U.S. Recurring royalty income and upcoming launches in large markets strengthen long-term growth prospects and reduce dependence on a single geography.
Negative Factors
Highly stressed balance sheet
Material leverage and negative equity substantially constrain financial flexibility. Elevated refinancing and dilution risk can force costly capital raises or limit strategic investments, impeding the company’s ability to fund commercialization and R&D without shareholder dilution.
Persistent negative cash generation
Sustained cash burn requires ongoing external financing and raises execution risk. Negative FCF limits the company’s ability to self-fund growth initiatives, heightens sensitivity to capital markets conditions, and can force trade-offs between commercial investment and pipeline funding.
Continued unprofitable operations
Ongoing losses and compressed gross margins mean the business has not reached sustainable profitability. If margins fail to recover, the company may struggle to generate internal funds for expansion, making long-term viability contingent on margin improvement or external capital.

Esperion (ESPR) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Esperion Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionEsperion Therapeutics, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes medicines for the treatment of patients with elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Its lead product candidates are NEXLETOL (bempedoic acid) and NEXLIZET (bempedoic acid and ezetimibe) tablets for the treatment of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The company has a license and collaboration agreement with Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH; and Serometrix to in-license its oral, small molecule PCSK9 inhibitor program. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
How the Company Makes MoneyEsperion generates revenue primarily through the sale of its pharmaceutical products, particularly Nexletol. The company's revenue model is driven by product sales to healthcare providers, hospitals, and pharmacies. Additionally, Esperion may engage in partnerships and collaborations with other pharmaceutical companies to co-promote products or share research and development costs. Significant partnerships can enhance distribution and marketing efforts, potentially leading to increased sales. The company may also receive milestone payments and royalties from licensing agreements related to its drug development initiatives.

Esperion Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 06, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Feb 24, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call reflected strong revenue growth, successful strategic initiatives, and international expansion. However, increased operating expenses and onetime financial impacts were noted as challenges. Overall, the highlights of growth and strategic progress outweigh the lowlights.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Revenue Growth
Total revenue for Q3 2025 grew 69% year-over-year to $87.3 million, with U.S. net product revenue increasing 31% year-over-year to $40.7 million.
Commercial Strategy Success
Esperion achieved nearly double-digit sequential quarterly prescription growth. Their strategic marketing initiatives, such as the 'Can’t take a statin? Make NEXLIZET happen!' campaign, have significantly increased brand awareness and prescriber engagement.
Strategic Partnerships and Approvals
Esperion finalized agreements with 4 generic manufacturers, ensuring no market entry of generic versions of NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET before April 2040. Additionally, bempedoic acid was included in the ESC/EAS guidelines, with U.S. guidelines expected to follow in early 2026.
International Expansion
Partnerships with Daiichi Sankyo Europe and Otsuka Pharmaceutical have shown strong growth, with significant market shares in Europe and upcoming launch in Japan. Royalty revenue from DSE increased 21% sequentially to $16.4 million.
Pipeline Advancements
Nomination of ESP-2001 as a preclinical development candidate for primary sclerosing cholangitis, with plans to initiate first-in-human clinical studies in 2026.
Negative Updates
Increased Operating Expenses
Research and development expenses increased by 36% to $14.1 million, and selling, general and administrative expenses rose by 5% to $41.8 million, primarily due to legal costs and media expenses.
Reimbursement Challenges
Despite a 9% increase in total retail prescription equivalents, U.S. revenues were relatively flat due to onetime investments in Medicare plans and a new e-voucher program affecting short-term financials.
Company Guidance
During the third quarter of 2025, Esperion reported a total revenue increase of 69% year-over-year, reaching $87.3 million. U.S. net product revenue grew by 31% to $40.7 million, while collaboration revenue surged by 128% to $46.7 million. The company achieved a 9% sequential increase in total retail prescription equivalents and a 7% rise in the number of healthcare professionals prescribing their products, expanding their prescriber base to over 30,000 practitioners. Esperion finalized agreements with four generic manufacturers, ensuring no market entry of generic NEXLETOL and NEXLIZET before April 2040, safeguarding the long-term value of their franchise. The inclusion of bempedoic acid in the 2025 ESC/EAS guidelines further validated its clinical benefits, with expectations for similar recognition in U.S. guidelines by early 2026. Additionally, the company reported an 87% Medicare coverage approval rate, with out-of-pocket costs reduced to $29 for a 30-day supply, and an 86% commercial coverage approval rate, with costs at $36. Internationally, they saw a 21% sequential increase in third-quarter royalty revenue from Daiichi Sankyo Europe, and Otsuka Pharmaceutical in Japan received preliminary pricing approval for NEXLETOL, indicating potential milestone payments upon final pricing approval.

Esperion Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Esperion's financial performance is challenged by significant profitability and financial stability issues. Despite strong revenue growth, the company faces negative net profit margins and negative equity, indicating high financial risk and leverage.
Income Statement
34
Negative
Esperion has shown significant revenue growth from 2023 to 2024, with a Revenue Growth Rate of 185.6%. However, the company is still facing challenges with profitability as indicated by the negative Net Profit Margin of -15.6% in 2024. The Gross Profit Margin improved to 79.3%, but the negative EBIT and EBITDA margins reflect ongoing operational challenges.
Balance Sheet
18
Very Negative
The balance sheet reveals a concerning negative Stockholders' Equity of -$388.7 million, indicating financial instability. The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is not calculable due to negative equity, highlighting high leverage. The Equity Ratio is also negative, suggesting that liabilities exceed assets, which poses a significant risk.
Cash Flow
16
Very Negative
Esperion's cash flow situation is challenging, with a negative Free Cash Flow of -$23.97 million in 2024. The Operating Cash Flow to Net Income Ratio is negative, indicating cash flow issues relative to net losses. However, the company has managed to reduce its negative Free Cash Flow compared to previous years, showing some improvement.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue303.80M332.31M116.33M75.47M78.45M227.55M
Gross Profit162.67M263.71M73.07M48.51M64.23M225.16M
EBITDA-27.34M7.57M-150.11M-176.35M-222.14M-120.33M
Net Income-105.83M-51.74M-209.25M-233.66M-269.11M-143.55M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets364.02M343.82M205.80M247.94M381.59M353.26M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments92.45M144.76M82.25M166.86M259.33M304.96M
Total Debt600.99M591.21M540.95M260.95M260.20M185.41M
Total Liabilities815.38M732.54M660.79M571.72M578.53M449.39M
Stockholders Equity-451.36M-388.72M-454.99M-323.78M-196.94M-96.13M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-93.29M-23.97M-135.49M-174.83M-263.81M-98.55M
Operating Cash Flow-93.29M-23.65M-135.49M-174.83M-263.81M-85.18M
Investing Cash Flow0.00-317.00K42.50M8.10M-50.48M21.36M
Financing Cash Flow41.02M86.48M50.46M32.61M268.22M201.72M

Esperion Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Neutral
Last Price3.13
Price Trends
50DMA
3.51
Negative
100DMA
3.09
Positive
200DMA
2.14
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.07
Positive
RSI
34.60
Neutral
STOCH
18.72
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ESPR, the sentiment is Neutral. The current price of 3.13 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 3.73, below the 50-day MA of 3.51, and above the 200-day MA of 2.14, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.07 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 34.60 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 18.72 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Neutral sentiment for ESPR.

Esperion Risk Analysis

Esperion disclosed 69 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Esperion reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 1 New Risks

Esperion Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
77
Outperform
$481.23M6.3539.94%-0.85%-13.50%
59
Neutral
$658.60M8.4613.92%-29.91%
52
Neutral
$491.15M-40.470.30%2.24%-67.56%
51
Neutral
$7.86B-0.30-43.30%2.27%22.53%-2.21%
50
Neutral
$325.40M-5.4815.10%0.18%
48
Neutral
$419.72M-6.44-7.82%1.76%18.31%
46
Neutral
$772.17M-5.842.83%13.61%
* Healthcare Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
ESPR
Esperion
3.13
0.92
41.63%
EBS
Emergent Biosolutions
10.95
1.07
10.83%
SIGA
SIGA Technologies
6.61
0.97
17.20%
ORGO
Organogenesis Holdings
3.97
0.63
18.86%
EOLS
Evolus
5.00
-5.51
-52.43%
SNDL
SNDL
1.62
-0.16
-8.99%

Esperion Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Esperion Appoints New Chief Commercial Officer
Positive
Nov 4, 2025

On November 4, 2025, Esperion Therapeutics announced the appointment of John B. Harlow, Jr. as the new Chief Commercial Officer, effective November 17, 2025. Harlow, who previously served as Chief Commercial Officer at Melinta Therapeutics, brings extensive experience in driving commercial strategies and enhancing sales and marketing performance. His appointment is expected to play a crucial role in expanding the adoption of Esperion’s cardiovascular risk reduction therapies and increasing the company’s global presence. Harlow’s leadership is anticipated to accelerate the delivery of innovative therapies to patients worldwide, furthering Esperion’s growth and market impact.

The most recent analyst rating on (ESPR) stock is a Hold with a $3.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Esperion stock, see the ESPR Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jan 14, 2026