Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Stock Price Up 2.4% Following Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Eli Lilly shares rose 2.4% after Jefferies Financial Group lifted its price target on the stock from $1,300 to $1,330, reinforcing bullish analyst sentiment.
• The stock’s move was also supported by optimism around Lilly’s obesity pipeline, especially strong Phase 3 retatrutide results and coverage suggesting the drug could outperform existing GLP-1 therapies.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on Lilly, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $1,220.37, while the company recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates by a wide margin.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report)'s share price rose 2.4% during trading on Friday after Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on the stock from $1,300.00 to $1,330.00. The company traded as high as $1,070.34 and last traded at $1,066.5890. Approximately 3,464,290 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 9% from the average daily volume of 3,188,047 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,041.65.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Loop Capital set a $1,200.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,350.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,260.00 to $1,283.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,294.00 to $1,133.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,220.37.

Key Eli Lilly and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lilly reported strong Phase 3 retatrutide results, with substantial weight loss across doses and long-term durability, boosting confidence in its next major obesity franchise. Lilly's triple agonist, retatrutide, delivered powerful weight loss in pivotal Phase 3 obesity trial
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also reacting to repeated coverage that retatrutide may outperform existing GLP-1 therapies, which could expand Lilly’s lead in the fast-growing weight-loss drug market. Patients on Lilly's next-gen obesity drug lost 28% of body weight, company says
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target on LLY to $1,330, signaling continued analyst confidence in Lilly’s earnings power and obesity pipeline. Jefferies lifts Eli Lilly price target to 1,330 from 1,300
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly’s new late-stage Foundayo data also showed strong weight-loss results in older adults, adding more support to the company’s broader GLP-1 growth story. Eli Lilly Highlights Positive Late-Stage Foundayo Data At Obesity Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Lilly is expanding beyond obesity through acquisitions and pipeline development, including a deal for Engage Biologics and new studies in Alzheimer’s and heart failure, which supports long-term diversification but is less immediately market-moving. Eli Lilly’s Engage Biologics Deal Extends Genetic Bets Beyond Obesity Boom

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 84.2% in the 3rd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 35 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Basso Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, 10Elms LLP lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 33.3% in the 3rd quarter. 10Elms LLP now owns 40 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.50. The firm's 50 day moving average is $941.52 and its 200-day moving average is $1,003.33. The firm has a market cap of $1.00 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.48.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $1.58. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 34.98% and a return on equity of 105.77%. The business had revenue of $19.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.34 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company's quarterly revenue was up 55.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-37.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 35.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Eli Lilly and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.58%.

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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