Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Trading Up 2.3% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Eli Lilly shares rose 2.3% in Thursday trading, with the stock reaching as high as $1,047.30 as investors reacted to a wave of mostly positive company news.
• Retatrutide obesity trial results were the biggest catalyst, as Lilly said the drug delivered strong Phase 3 weight-loss data and could move closer to regulatory filing and a potential launch next year.
• Beyond obesity, Lilly highlighted pipeline strength in oncology ahead of ASCO, but it also disclosed a civil lawsuit tied to a Trulicity rebate-fraud scheme, creating some legal overhang.

Shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) traded up 2.3% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $1,047.30 and last traded at $1,041.8910. 2,699,576 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 15% from the average session volume of 3,185,233 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,018.87.

Key Stories Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lilly reported standout Phase 3 obesity data for retatrutide, with weight loss results that appear stronger than many investors expected and that could expand the company’s already powerful GLP-1 franchise. Article: Lilly's triple agonist, retatrutide, delivered powerful weight loss in pivotal Phase 3 obesity trial
• Positive Sentiment: The company said retatrutide produced clinically meaningful weight loss across doses, bringing it closer to a regulatory filing and a potential launch next year. Article: Patients on Lilly's next-gen obesity drug lost 28% of body weight, company says
• Positive Sentiment: LLY also announced major oncology updates for the upcoming ASCO meeting, including plenary-session data for Retevmo and Verzenio, which supports confidence in the rest of Lilly’s pipeline beyond obesity. Article: Lilly to showcase oncology portfolio across tumor types and treatment modalities at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting
• Neutral Sentiment: Lilly completed a debt offering and acquired Engage Biologics for up to $202 million, moves that broaden its pipeline but are unlikely to be the main driver of the stock today. Article: Eli Lilly Raises $8.9 Billion in Debt Offering Article: Eli Lilly Buys Engage Biologics for Up to $202 Million
• Negative Sentiment: Lilly also disclosed a civil lawsuit alleging a Trulicity rebate-fraud scheme cost it more than $200 million, which adds a legal overhang even though it is not the main market-moving story. Article: Eli Lilly accuses church bishops, businessmen of fraud in Trulicity drug rebate scheme

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. CICC Research lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,060.00 to $1,107.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. HSBC cut shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "hold" rating to a "reduce" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $1,070.00 to $850.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $1,300.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,219.26.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

The stock's 50-day moving average price is $940.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,002.07. The company has a market cap of $981.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.01, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.50 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

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

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Eli Lilly and Company's payout ratio is presently 24.58%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 84.2% in the third 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 in the last quarter. Basso Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, 10Elms LLP raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 33.3% in the third quarter. 10Elms LLP now owns 40 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. 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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