Eli Lilly and Company Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:LLY)

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders acquired 47,128 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 20% compared to the typical daily volume of 39,211 call options.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $1,126.66 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.06 trillion, a P/E ratio of 40.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.48. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $623.78 and a 52 week high of $1,149.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $952.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,009.10.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $1.58. The company had revenue of $19.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.82 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 34.98% and a return on equity of 105.77%. The firm’s revenue was up 55.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.34 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-37.000 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 35.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 24.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LLY. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,300.00 to $1,330.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,150.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,283.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,350.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,227.00.

Eli Lilly and Company News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: CVS Caremark will restore coverage for Zepbound and begin covering Lilly’s new obesity pill Foundayo, meaning all three major U.S. pharmacy benefit managers now cover Lilly’s full obesity portfolio. That broadens access, supports prescription growth, and strengthens Lilly’s position in the fast-growing weight-loss market. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly announced three vaccine acquisitions worth up to about $3.8 billion combined, signaling a strategic expansion beyond obesity and diabetes into infectious disease prevention. Investors may view the deal-making as a long-term growth move that diversifies the pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company also highlighted strong clinical momentum, including new data for Foundayo, Mounjaro, and retatrutide ahead of the ADA conference. The late-stage results suggest Lilly could keep extending its lead in cardiometabolic care. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several firms reiterated bullish views, including BofA raising its price target and Wolfe Research maintaining an Outperform rating. That reinforces the market’s confidence in Lilly’s earnings and pipeline growth. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Lilly presented at Bernstein’s Strategic Decisions Conference and is set to appear at other healthcare conferences, which keeps attention on management’s outlook but is not, by itself, a major fundamental driver. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warned that Lilly’s valuation is rich and that Novo Nordisk could still be a strong competitor in the obesity-pill market. That may limit upside if investors become more cautious about how much growth is already priced in. Article Title

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LLY. Cidel Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 26.5% during the 3rd quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 26,726 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,392,000 after buying an additional 5,591 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 27,719 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,789,000 after acquiring an additional 592 shares during the period. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 25.6% during the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 42,418 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,365,000 after acquiring an additional 8,659 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 30.8% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 31,145 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,471,000 after acquiring an additional 7,338 shares during the period. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 165,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $126,022,000 after acquiring an additional 5,595 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.