Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Rating Lowered to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on LLY. Zacks Research upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Guggenheim cut their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,163.00 to $1,161.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Scotiabank initiated coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a “sector outperform” rating and a $1,165.00 target price on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,162.75.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

NYSE:LLY opened at $1,037.84 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.55. The company has a 50-day moving average of $1,056.87 and a 200-day moving average of $888.67. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $623.78 and a 52 week high of $1,133.95. The company has a market capitalization of $981.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.77, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.35.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $7.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.42 by $0.60. The firm had revenue of $17.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.09 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 109.52%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 53.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.18 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 114.3% during the second quarter. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. now owns 77,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,253,000 after buying an additional 41,222 shares during the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 189.6% in the 3rd quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,283,000 after acquiring an additional 11,396 shares during the period. Rede Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $487,000. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 15.3% during the second quarter. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $229,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 25.8% in the third quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 8,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,859,000 after purchasing an additional 1,843 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

Here are the key news stories impacting Eli Lilly and Company this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO David Ricks said impending Medicare coverage for obesity drugs could “change the game” for the launch of Lilly’s oral obesity candidate orforglipron, signaling a major commercial catalyst if access and reimbursement broaden this year. Eli Lilly CEO says Medicare coverage of obesity drugs could ‘change the game’ for upcoming pill launch
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly announced a $3.5 billion Lehigh Valley (PA) injectable manufacturing plant to produce next‑gen weight‑loss drugs (including retatrutide), expanding U.S. capacity and creating ~2,800 jobs — a material long‑term supply and growth investment. Eli Lilly to build $3.5 billion Pennsylvania plant in US manufacturing push
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target sharply to $1,250 and maintained a buy rating, providing analyst backing that can support further upside and investor confidence. TD Cowen adjusts price target on Eli Lilly and Co to $1,250
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly expanded its R&D and partnering footprint with a ~ $1.93B deal with Repertoire (autoimmune therapies) and other gene‑editing/oncology investments, diversifying future growth drivers beyond GLP‑1s. Lilly signs up to $1.93 billion deal with Repertoire for autoimmune therapies
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitor Novo Nordisk ramped U.S. advertising for Wegovy/Ozempic after prior supply constraints eased, outspending Lilly — a sign of intensifying marketing competition in obesity that could pressure share gains or require higher promotional spend. Novo Nordisk Outspends Eli Lilly On Wegovy, Ozempic Ads After Supply Crunch Eases
• Negative Sentiment: The FDA action date for Lilly’s oral weight‑loss pill orforglipron was moved to April 10 (Q2), delaying potential revenue contribution and near‑term clarity on approval — a timing risk that can cap upside until the new decision date. FDA Decision on Eli Lilly’s Weight Loss Pill Delayed to Q2

About Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) is a global pharmaceutical company founded in 1876 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes a broad range of medicines and therapies for patients worldwide. Eli Lilly maintains operations and commercial presence across North America, Europe, Asia and other regions, serving both developed and emerging markets. The company has been led in recent years by President and Chief Executive Officer David A.