Esperion Therapeutics' (NASDAQ:ESPR) Stock Price Has Reduced 58% In The Past Three Years

Investing in stocks inevitably means buying into some companies that perform poorly. But the last three years have been particularly tough on longer term Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESPR) shareholders. Regrettably, they have had to cope with a 58% drop in the share price over that period. And the ride hasn't got any smoother in recent times over the last year, with the price 47% lower in that time. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 25% in the last 90 days.

See our latest analysis for Esperion Therapeutics

Because Esperion Therapeutics made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think Esperion Therapeutics will earn in the future (free profit forecasts).

A Different Perspective

Investors in Esperion Therapeutics had a tough year, with a total loss of 47%, against a market gain of about 24%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 0.6% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for Esperion Therapeutics (1 is a bit concerning) that you should be aware of.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

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