Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Rating Lowered to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Eli Lilly from “strong buy” to “buy,” though broader analyst sentiment remains favorable: 24 analysts rate it a Buy, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,292.18.
• Lilly reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $8.38 per share, beating estimates by $1.98, while revenue rose 47.7% year over year to $22.97 billion. Analysts expect approximately $36.35 in earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
• Insiders sold 13,500 shares worth nearly $16 million last quarter, while institutional investors own 82.53% of the stock. Lilly’s obesity-treatment momentum and planned RNA vaccine collaboration support its growth outlook, but competition in oral GLP-1 drugs remains a risk.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Sunday.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on LLY. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,330.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped 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 research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $1,419.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $880.00 to $900.00 in a report on Thursday, May 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 issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,292.18.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $1,257.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.18 trillion, a PE ratio of 42.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.51. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $694.23 and a 52 week high of $1,292.65. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $1,180.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,059.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $8.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.40 by $1.98. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 33.53% and a return on equity of 97.83%. The company had revenue of $22.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.31 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 36.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Eli Lilly and Company news, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,500 shares of the 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 transaction of $7,638,150.00. Following the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible 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 on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,190.00, for a total transaction of $5,950,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 11,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,131,250. This trade represents a 29.63% 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. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 13,500 shares of company stock valued at $15,958,170. Insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LLY. Mosaic Family Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 70.6% during the 2nd quarter. Mosaic Family Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,455 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,144,000 after acquiring an additional 1,430 shares in the last quarter. Generali Investments Management Co LLC boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 17.5% in the second quarter. Generali Investments Management Co LLC now owns 10,220 shares of the company's stock worth $12,258,000 after purchasing an additional 1,521 shares during the period. Amundi increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 9.9% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 5,055,025 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,649,464,000 after purchasing an additional 454,549 shares during the last quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 79.3% during the second quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,960 shares of the company's stock worth $3,550,000 after purchasing an additional 1,309 shares during the period. Finally, May Hill Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 131.6% in the 4th quarter. May Hill Capital LLC now owns 3,170 shares of the company's stock worth $3,408,000 after buying an additional 1,801 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Eli Lilly and Company News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lilly will collaborate with Boston-based Chai Discovery on an RNA vaccine platform. The partnership could expand Lilly’s technology and early-stage pipeline, though the financial impact is likely to be longer term. Lilly to work with Boston-based firm to develop RNA vaccine platform
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage continues to highlight Lilly’s momentum in obesity treatment, with its products reportedly outpacing Novo Nordisk’s offerings. This reinforces expectations for sustained demand and supports LLY’s growth narrative. Eli Lilly's obesity treatments outpace Novo Nordisk
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst-focused coverage identifies Eli Lilly as a leading candidate for significant earnings growth and a potential buy point as the broader market rebounds. These 7 Stocks Are Analyst Favorites For Magnificent Earnings Growth; Eli Lilly Tops Buy Point
• Neutral Sentiment: Lilly completed or advanced several clinical studies, including trials involving hidradenitis suppurativa, lebrikizumab, LY4178256 and eloralintide. The updates broaden the pipeline, but no decisive efficacy or regulatory results were provided. Lilly clinical-trial updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion of a possible stock split reflects the sharp rise in LLY’s share price, but a split would not change the company’s fundamental value or earnings outlook. Stock Split Watch: Is Eli Lilly Stock Next?
• Negative Sentiment: Lilly continues to face competition from Novo Nordisk in the emerging oral GLP-1 market. The race creates substantial growth potential but also raises execution and market-share risks. Can Eli Lilly Catch Novo Nordisk in the Oral GLP-1 Race?

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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