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

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

A number of other research firms have also commented on LLY. Loop Capital set a $1,200.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Berenberg Bank lifted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $950.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. CICC Research upped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,060.00 to $1,107.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays initiated coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $1,350.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,222.22.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of LLY opened at $935.85 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $884.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.78, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.51. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $623.78 and a twelve month high of $1,133.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $993.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $970.86.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.48 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $19.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.85 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 31.66% and a return on equity of 102.94%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 42.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $5.32 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LLY. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 81,965,974 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,087,193,000 after buying an additional 1,006,885 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,361,916 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,002,744,000 after acquiring an additional 635,358 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 20.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 25,088,371 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,141,787,000 after acquiring an additional 4,332,008 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 15,593,019 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,757,510,000 after acquiring an additional 407,166 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 15,031,750 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,154,619,000 after acquiring an additional 61,851 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approves Foundayo (orforglipron), the first once‑daily oral GLP‑1 for chronic weight management with no food/water restrictions — a commercial launch (April 6) and analyst forecasts point to multi‑billion dollar sales potential that is boosting investor sentiment. Eli Lilly (LLY) Receives FDA Approval for Foundayo Weight Management Pill
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and other brokers reiterate buy/raise views and price targets after the approval, calling Foundayo a preferred oral GLP‑1 and lifting upside expectations for LLY. Bank of America sees Eli Lilly’s Foundayo as preferred oral GLP-1
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street models expect a strong commercial debut (analyst revenue scenarios in the billions for 2026), supporting upside to near‑term sales and valuation. Wall Street sees multi-billion dollar debut for Lilly’s obesity pill
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly’s announced acquisition of Centessa (~$7.8B) diversifies the pipeline into neuroscience and is viewed as strategic for long‑term growth beyond metabolic franchises. Eli Lilly to Acquire Centessa Pharmaceuticals
• Neutral Sentiment: Quiet Phase‑1 readout (LY4060874) — no major surprises reported, so limited immediate stock impact but keeps focus on pipeline cadence. LY4060874 Phase 1 Readout
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options activity noted — signals elevated investor/speculator interest around the approval and upcoming launch, but direction uncertain. Eli Lilly Target of Unusually High Options Trading
• Negative Sentiment: Rival Novo Nordisk released cross‑trial comparisons claiming Wegovy’s oral pill produces greater weight loss and fewer adverse events than Foundayo — intensifies competitive risk and could pressure uptake/pricing. Novo Nordisk Wegovy Data Challenges Foundayo
• Negative Sentiment: Broader competitive pressures in weight‑loss drugs — including Novo price cuts/generics in markets like India — highlight margin and pricing risk across the GLP‑1 category. Novo Nordisk price cuts in India
• Negative Sentiment: Policy and macro risk: proposed US tariffs on branded drugs and recent geopolitical tensions have weighed on pharma stocks, capping LLY’s upside despite product news. Trump Administration Unveils Up to 100% Tariff on Branded Drugs LLY Stock Slips As Geopolitical Tensions Weigh

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.