Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation, twenty-three have assigned a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $1,235.0741.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on LLY shares. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,350.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Monday, June 8th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

Trending Headlines about Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighted Eli Lilly as a leader in GLP-1 therapies with an expanding pipeline and diversified growth strategy, reinforcing the bull case despite the stock’s premium valuation. Lilly Up Around 7% in a Week: Should You Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Shares were lifted by optimism around GLP-1 Medicare inclusion and strong reported results, which investors view as supportive of continued demand and revenue growth. Eli Lilly Hits Highs on GLP-1 Medicare Inclusion, Huge Results
• Positive Sentiment: Another bullish note argued that artificial intelligence could become a long-term growth tailwind for Eli Lilly by improving drug development and operational efficiency. AI Is the Ultimate Growth Tailwind for Eli Lilly (LLY). Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: Repeated mentions in pharmaceutical and medical stock roundups suggest Lilly remains one of the sector’s preferred large-cap names for investors seeking growth exposure. Pharmaceutical Stocks To Follow Now – July 2nd
• Positive Sentiment: Additional commentary pointed to Lilly’s appeal to long-term, high-conviction investors, including billionaire hedge fund manager Cliff Asness, adding to the stock’s credibility as a favored healthcare holding. Is Eli Lilly (LLY) One of Billionaire Cliff Asness’ Best Healthcare Stock Picks ?
• Neutral Sentiment: One item noted a leadership change at Lilly Korea, which appears operationally routine and unlikely to move the stock on its own. Eli Lilly Korea names Komasu Seiya new representative
• Neutral Sentiment: General industry pieces about pharmaceutical growth and the sector’s $2 trillion sales trajectory are supportive of sentiment, but they do not add a specific new catalyst for Lilly. Can pharma sustain its $2T trajectory?

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of LLY opened at $1,208.37 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.14 trillion, a P/E ratio of 42.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.51. 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 has a 50 day moving average of $1,065.45 and a 200 day moving average of $1,028.14. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $623.78 and a twelve month high of $1,238.00.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $1.58. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 105.77% and a net margin of 34.98%.The business had revenue of $19.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.34 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 55.5% on a year-over-year basis. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-37.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 35.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.73 per share. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Eli Lilly and Company’s payout ratio is presently 24.58%.

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.