KBC Group NV Lowers Holdings in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

KBC Group NV lessened its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 544,998 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31,205 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company makes up about 1.4% of KBC Group NV’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. KBC Group NV owned 0.06% of Eli Lilly and Company worth $653,687,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $12,976,634,000. J. Stern & Co. LLP raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 46,191.3% during the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 4,047,245 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,047,245,000 after purchasing an additional 4,038,502 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 876.1% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 2,375,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,552,419,000 after buying an additional 2,131,734 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 321.3% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,963,490 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,805,959,000 after buying an additional 1,497,423 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 14,910,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,024,022,000 after buying an additional 1,432,069 shares during the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LLY has been the subject of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,283.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,350.00 to $1,410.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Berenberg Bank boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Bank of America increased their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,251.00 to $1,334.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,300.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,292.18.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 3.7%

LLY opened at $1,227.11 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.16 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.51. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,173.20 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,055.15. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $685.15 and a 1-year high of $1,249.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $8.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.40 by $1.98. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 97.83% and a net margin of 33.53%.The business had revenue of $22.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.31 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 47.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-36.500 EPS. Analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 36.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is presently 23.22%.

Eli Lilly and Company News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Weight-loss leadership remains a key catalyst. Eli Lilly was highlighted as an IBD Stock of the Day as its obesity-drug business gains ground on Novo Nordisk. Investor attention is also focused on the company’s next-generation obesity candidate retatrutide following encouraging trial-related developments. Eli Lilly, Stock Of The Day, Is Erasing Novo’s Early Lead In Weight-Loss Pills
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results support the bullish outlook. Lilly’s latest reported quarter substantially exceeded earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up 47.7% year over year. Analysts cited GLP-1 momentum, a broad pipeline and strong operating growth as reasons for continued long-term momentum. LLY Up Around 6% Post Robust Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline expansion continued through partnerships. Lilly signed a global collaboration and licensing agreement with OmniAb for an ion-channel drug-discovery program, potentially providing access to new medicines. It also made a $10 million upfront payment to AlzeCure for rights connected to small-molecule CNS treatments, including Alzheimer’s and pain candidates. OmniAb Enters Collaboration and License Agreement with Eli Lilly
• Neutral Sentiment: International execution is progressing. Lilly appointed Tayllit Aherdan to lead operations in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, supporting its commercial expansion in the Middle East. Lilly Appoints Tayllit Aherdan
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition remain risks. Analysts noted that Lilly’s premium valuation leaves less room for execution misses, while competition, pricing pressure and future obesity-drug rivals could moderate upside.
• Negative Sentiment: An executive sale adds a minor sentiment headwind. EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,500 shares worth approximately $7.6 million. However, the transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing its significance as a discretionary bearish signal. SEC Insider Transaction Filing

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other news, EVP Anat Hakim sold 5,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,190.00, for a total transaction of $5,950,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 11,875 shares in the company, valued at $14,131,250. The trade was a 29.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,185.01, for a total transaction of $2,370,020.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,526 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,808,325.26. The trade was a 56.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 13,500 shares of company stock worth $15,958,170 in the last three months. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.