Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-one research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $1,002.80.

LLY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $975.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,029.00 to $1,038.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $970.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LLY traded down $45.20 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $776.26. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,961,205 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,485,577. The company has a market cap of $735.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 66.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.15. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $677.09 and a 12-month high of $972.53. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $823.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $814.29.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $3.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.64 by ($1.30). The company had revenue of $12.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.77 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 23.51% and a return on equity of 85.24%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 45.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.58 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.77%. Eli Lilly and Company's dividend payout ratio is presently 48.82%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $818.24, for a total value of $818,240.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,840 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,778,521.60. The trade was a 14.62 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.14% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. WestEnd Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 210.0% during the first quarter. WestEnd Advisors LLC now owns 31 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. Citizens National Bank Trust Department boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 180.0% in the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 42 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter worth $40,000. Finally, FPC Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 358.3% in the fourth quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 55 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity.