Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Stock Bumped Down to Hold by China Merchants Securities

China Merchants Securities downgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Thursday,FinViz reports.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,497.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,440.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,610.00 to $1,700.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Guggenheim increased their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,273.00 to $1,284.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 18th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,300.00 to $1,605.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,416.64.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE LLY opened at $1,433.34 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $1,236.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,108.27. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $850.51 and a 12 month high of $1,460.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.35 trillion, a P/E ratio of 46.52, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.40.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $7.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.71 by $1.77. The company had revenue of $24.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.58 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 31.90% and a return on equity of 86.76%. Eli Lilly and Company’s revenue was up 38.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $7.02 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 35.70 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 13th will be given a dividend of $1.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 13th. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Eli Lilly and Company’s payout ratio is currently 22.46%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,175.10, for a total value of $7,638,150.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 54,147 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,628,139.70. This trade represents a 10.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Anat Hakim sold 5,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,402.52, for a total transaction of $7,012,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,802,225.24. This represents a 54.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 11.5% in the 3rd quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,484 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,841,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 11,279 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,051,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares during the period. N.F.U. MUTUAL UNIT MANAGERS Ltd purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $5,099,000. Portland Global Advisors LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 63.8% during the 3rd quarter. Portland Global Advisors LLC now owns 1,451 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,679,000 after buying an additional 565 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Disciplined Investors L.L.C. increased its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 43.0% during the third quarter. Disciplined Investors L.L.C. now owns 791 shares of the company’s stock worth $915,000 after buying an additional 238 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Eli Lilly and Company News Summary

These are some of the LLY news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: New trial coverage points to broader potential for Lilly’s GLP-1 medicines: orforglipron reportedly showed promise for osteoarthritic knee pain, and Foundayo data indicated improvement in sleep apnea. These possible benefits could expand the drugs’ addressable markets, but further development and evidence remain important. Trial results coverage
• Positive Sentiment: A Phase 3b study found that combining Zepbound with Taltz improved and sustained outcomes in adults with psoriatic arthritis and obesity compared with Taltz alone. The results could support broader use of Lilly’s medicines in patients with both conditions. Phase 3b study announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Lilly’s obesity collaboration with Fauna Bio designated a second discovery target using AI-based research. It adds to the early-stage pipeline, but any commercial impact is uncertain and likely years away. Fauna Bio announcement

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets medicines for people and animals. Its work spans areas including diabetes and obesity, cancer, immunology, neuroscience and pain management. The company’s medicines include treatments for diabetes and obesity, such as Mounjaro and Zepbound, as well as products for cancer and other conditions. Lilly also conducts research into new medicines and invests in the development of treatments across its therapeutic areas.