Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Shares Down 1.8% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Shares down 1.8% — LLY traded as low as $888.03 and last at $905.73 on Wednesday, with mid‑day volume of ~4.21M shares, a 35% rise versus the average session volume.
• Multiple positive catalysts support upside — analysts added buy ratings after Lilly’s obesity pill launch, the company expanded access with oral GLP‑1 Foundayo™ and agreed to acquire CrossBridge Bio (up to $300M), while oncology wins and AI partnerships further diversify growth drivers.
• Strong results and bullish analyst view — Lilly beat quarterly revenue and EPS estimates ($19.29B revenue; $7.54 EPS), set FY2026 EPS guidance of 33.5–35, and carries a consensus price target of $1,224.59 with an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report)'s stock price traded down 1.8% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $888.03 and last traded at $905.7310. 4,214,842 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 35% from the average session volume of 3,128,294 shares. The stock had previously closed at $922.50.

Key Stories Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts added buy ratings as Lilly’s obesity pill hits the market and is forecast to be a global bestseller — supports continued revenue upside from weight‑loss franchise. Eli Lilly Stock (LLY) Gets Another Buy Rating as Its Obesity Pill Hits the Market
• Positive Sentiment: Shed added Foundayo™ (orforglipron), Lilly’s once‑daily oral GLP‑1, to its platform — expands patient access and could accelerate prescriptions for Lilly’s oral weight‑loss offering. Shed Adds Foundayo™ to Its Platform, Expanding Oral GLP-1 Access for Patients Nationwide
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly agreed to acquire CrossBridge Bio for up to $300M to add preclinical dual‑payload ADC tech — bolsters oncology pipeline and R&D depth. Lilly to acquire CrossBridge Bio for up to $300m
• Positive Sentiment: Jaypirca (Lilly) reported a fourth positive Phase 3 result in blood cancer patients and Lilly advanced a leukemia drug in late‑stage trials — diversifies clinical catalysts beyond weight‑loss. Eli Lilly Advances Leukemia Drug in Late-Stage Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Vasa Therapeutics signed to use Lilly’s TuneLab AI/ML drug discovery platform — indicates Lilly’s AI assets may become a partner revenue stream and validation of internal discovery tools. Vasa Therapeutics Partners with Lilly TuneLab to Power AI/ML-Driven CAMKII Inhibitor Platform
• Neutral Sentiment: Media pieces (Forbes/CNBC) debate long‑term upside (e.g., $2,000 target) and highlight Lilly’s dominant positioning — bullish narratives that may support investor conviction but are long‑term in nature. LLY Stock To $2,000?
• Negative Sentiment: Competitor Novo Nordisk struck a global partnership with OpenAI to accelerate drug discovery — raises the risk that Novo narrows Lilly’s lead in weight‑loss and other therapeutic areas over time. NVO Inks Deal With OpenAI for Speedy Drug Discovery Globally, Stock Up

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on LLY shares. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,300.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $1,300.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $1,260.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,224.59.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 1.8%

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $980.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $980.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.58. The stock has a market cap of $855.75 billion, a PE ratio of 39.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.51.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.48 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $19.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.85 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 102.94% and a net margin of 31.66%.Eli Lilly and Company's quarterly revenue was up 42.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.32 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brady Martz Wealth Solutions LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 21.0% in the 1st quarter. Brady Martz Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 1,368 shares of the company's stock worth $1,258,000 after buying an additional 237 shares in the last quarter. Aspen Investment Management Inc increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Aspen Investment Management Inc now owns 3,249 shares of the company's stock worth $2,988,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Old North State Trust LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Old North State Trust LLC now owns 7,414 shares of the company's stock worth $7,968,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $1,196,000. Finally, Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $193,000. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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