Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Stock Price Down 1.7% on Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Leerink Partners cut its price target on Eli Lilly from $1,296 to $1,058 (still Outperform), sending shares down about 1.7% intraday to roughly $868 with mid‑day volume ~2.68M (≈14% below average).
• Lilly is accelerating oncology M&A—agreeing to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3B (its second blood‑cancer deal in April)—a strategic push to diversify revenue away from GLP‑1s.
• Analysts remain broadly positive: MarketBeat's consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $1,216.52, and Lilly recently beat quarterly estimates and set FY2026 EPS guidance of 33.5–35.0.

Shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) dropped 1.7% on Monday after Leerink Partners lowered their price target on the stock from $1,296.00 to $1,058.00. Leerink Partners currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Eli Lilly and Company traded as low as $868.04 and last traded at $868.5870. Approximately 2,677,470 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 14% from the average daily volume of 3,115,666 shares. The stock had previously closed at $883.96.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on LLY. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $1,260.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,200.00 to $1,280.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Loop Capital set a $1,200.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,163.00 to $1,183.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,216.52.

Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lilly agreed to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion, adding AJ1‑11095 (a first‑in‑class Type II JAK2 inhibitor in Phase 1) to its blood‑cancer pipeline — strengthens medium/long‑term oncology growth prospects. Eli Lilly to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion
• Positive Sentiment: This is Lilly’s second blood‑cancer/oncology acquisition in April, signaling a deliberate push into hematologic oncology that diversifies revenue away from GLP‑1s. Lilly Bets Again on Blood Cancer With Second Acquisition This Month
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors face a near‑term earnings catalyst: LLY heads into Q1 reports this week and analysts are focused on GLP‑1 volumes, pricing dynamics and how newer launches contribute. Expect volatility around guidance and commentary. Will These 5 Drug Bigwigs Surpass Q1 Earnings Forecasts?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector M&A activity (e.g., Organon takeover by Sun Pharma) underscores an active pharma deal environment that can support higher valuations for strategic assets — a backdrop for Lilly’s deal‑making. Organon Rides the Pharma M&A Wave With Sun Takeover. The Stock Sizzles.
• Negative Sentiment: Data and prescription tracking show Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 (Foundayo) trailing Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy tablet at similar launch stages — raising near‑term revenue growth and market‑share concerns for the weight‑loss franchise. GLP-1 pill race heats up as Wegovy tablet holds strong against Lilly rival
• Negative Sentiment: Leerink Partners cut its price target on LLY from $1,296 to $1,058 (still Outperform), which reduces near‑term upside expectations and can pressure sentiment. Leerink Partners adjusts PT on Eli Lilly
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentators (including Jim Cramer) still note Lilly can "tell a good story" at earnings despite controversy around GLP‑1 script trends — media support can temper selloffs into results. Jim Cramer Says Eli Lilly “Will Tell a Good Story When It Reports”

Institutional Trading of Eli Lilly and Company

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 22.0% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,597 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,409,000 after buying an additional 1,730 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,471 shares of the company's stock worth $1,136,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 16.7% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 7,993 shares of the company's stock worth $6,231,000 after acquiring an additional 1,141 shares in the last quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter worth about $356,000. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter worth about $749,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

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 firm has a market capitalization of $820.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.51. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $958.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $985.86.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.48 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $19.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.85 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 31.66% and a return on equity of 102.94%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 42.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior 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, analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 33.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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