Principal Financial Group Inc. Acquires 11,954 Shares of Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 1.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,253,691 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 11,954 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.13% of Eli Lilly and Company worth $956,572,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of LLY. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Steph & Co. increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 290.0% during the third quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 39 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 263.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 40 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Eli Lilly and Company News Summary

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on LLY shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,171.00 to $1,290.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Daiwa Capital Markets set a $1,230.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Scotiabank initiated coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a “sector outperform” rating and a $1,165.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,162.75.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of LLY opened at $1,037.84 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $981.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.77, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.35. Eli Lilly and Company has a one year low of $623.78 and a one year high of $1,133.95. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,056.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $889.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.24.

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

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $1.73 per share. This is a positive change from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.35%.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

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.