Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• FY2026 guidance and Q1 beat: Lilly raised FY2026 EPS guidance to $35.50–$37.00 and revenue to $82–$85 billion, topping consensus, after a Q1 beat (EPS $8.55; revenue $19.8B) driven by strong demand for GLP‑1 drugs.
• Pipeline expansion via big deals: The company is investing in long‑term growth with a Profluent AI/genetic‑medicine pact (up to $2.25B) and an Ajax Therapeutics acquisition (up to ~$2.3B) to broaden its oncology and gene‑editing capabilities.
• Near‑term risks include mixed early uptake for the new oral GLP‑1 pill Foundayo and rising generic competition in markets like Canada, which could pressure pricing and volume outside the U.S.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 35.500-37.000 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 34.390. The company issued revenue guidance of $82.0 billion-$85.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $81.9 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research cut Eli Lilly and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. CICC Research boosted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,060.00 to $1,107.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $960.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Wall Street Zen cut Eli Lilly and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $1,260.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,216.52.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LLY opened at $851.65 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $623.78 and a twelve month high of $1,133.95. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $948.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $985.31. The stock has a market cap of $804.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.51.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $7.26 by $1.29. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 102.94% and a net margin of 31.66%.The company had revenue of $19.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.61 billion. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-37.000 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 33.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and stronger guidance — Lilly posted a better-than-expected quarter (revenue and EPS upside) and raised its annual profit forecast, driven by sustained demand for GLP‑1 drugs (Zepbound, Mounjaro) and growth momentum. This supports longer-term revenue visibility and underpins the stock’s premium valuation. Eli Lilly raises annual profit forecast as GLP-1 drugs fuel growth Lilly reports first-quarter 2026 financial results, raises full year guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic R&D deals expand long-term optionality — Lilly signed a large AI/genetic‑medicine pact with Profluent (up to $2.25B) and agreed to acquire Ajax Therapeutics (up to ~$2.3B) to broaden its pipeline in gene editing and oncology, actions that investors view as growth and pipeline diversification. Eli Lilly bets on recombinases in $2.25bn Profluent R&D pact Lilly Agrees To Buy Ajax Therapeutics For Up To $2.3 Billion
• Neutral Sentiment: Foundayo not in Q1 results — Investors were looking for launch color on the new oral GLP‑1 pill Foundayo but Q1 figures do not include its sales; the absence of concrete launch data adds ambiguity to near‑term expectations. Eli Lilly investors are eager for Foundayo insight after early launch data
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst moves are mixed — Some firms (e.g., Guggenheim) have raised price targets reflecting strong growth outlooks, while others (Erste) trimmed FY2026/27 EPS estimates modestly; the analyst community remains bullish overall but shows tightening near‑term forecast variability. Guggenheim Raises PT on Eli Lilly (LLY) MarketBeat LLY coverage (Erste note reference)
• Negative Sentiment: Early launch metrics and social chatter show mixed/slow uptake for Foundayo — third‑party data and social reports indicate Foundayo prescriptions started below expectations versus rivals, which raises near‑term growth concerns and heightens sentiment volatility. Eli Lilly Stock (LLY) Opinions on Foundayo Pill Launch
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure from generics abroad — Approvals of lower‑cost generic obesity drugs in markets like Canada increase pricing and volume risk for branded GLP‑1 products outside the U.S., a near-term headwind for growth assumptions. Eli Lilly Stock (LLY) Falls as Canada Approves Generic Weight-Loss Drugs

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LLY. J. Stern & Co. LLP lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 46,191.3% in the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 4,047,245 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,047,245,000 after buying an additional 4,038,502 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 876.1% during the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 2,375,050 shares of the company's stock worth $2,552,419,000 after purchasing an additional 2,131,734 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 14,910,505 shares of the company's stock worth $16,024,022,000 after purchasing an additional 1,432,069 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 27.1% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 4,525,902 shares of the company's stock worth $3,823,977,000 after purchasing an additional 964,675 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of 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 worth $38,002,744,000 after purchasing an additional 635,358 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

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.

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