2,689 Eli Lilly and Company $LLY Shares Bought by First Merchants Corp

Key Points

• First Merchants increased its Eli Lilly stake by 5.3%, purchasing 2,689 additional shares to reach 53,117 shares valued at approximately $61.5 million. Eli Lilly now represents 2.0% of First Merchants’ portfolio, while institutional investors collectively own 82.53% of the stock.
• Eli Lilly reported strong operating momentum: quarterly earnings of $8.38 per share exceeded estimates by $1.98, while revenue rose 47.7% year over year to $22.97 billion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with an average price target of $1,313.43.
• Insiders have recently sold shares, including 8,500 shares sold by two executives under pre-arranged trading plans; insiders sold 13,500 shares worth roughly $16.0 million over the past 90 days. Investors are also weighing Lilly’s promising obesity-drug pipeline against its premium valuation and a large shareholder’s planned $347 million stock sale.

First Merchants Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 53,117 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,689 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company makes up 2.0% of First Merchants Corp's holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. First Merchants Corp's holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $61,461,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Maseco LLP raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 466.7% in the first quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 34 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 270.0% in the first quarter. Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 37 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 60.0% in the first quarter. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 40 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,185.01, for a total transaction of $2,370,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,526 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,808,325.26. This represents a 56.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,175.10, for a total transaction of $7,638,150.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 54,147 shares of the company's stock, valued at $63,628,139.70. This trade represents a 10.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 13,500 shares of company stock worth $15,958,170 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: European backing for Foundayo: The European Medicines Agency’s advisory committee issued a positive recommendation for Foundayo (orforglipron), Lilly’s once-daily oral GLP-1 treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Final approval from the European Commission is still required, but the decision supports Lilly’s strategy to expand beyond injectable drugs and could broaden access to the rapidly growing weight-loss market. Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 Pill Wins Key European Backing for Obesity and Diabetes
• Positive Sentiment: Additional obesity drugs could extend growth: Analysts and market commentators highlighted Foundayo, investigational retatrutide and other newer medicines as potential drivers of Lilly’s next growth phase, reducing dependence on Zepbound. Retatrutide remains in development, so its commercial contribution depends on clinical results and future regulatory approval. Forget Zepbound: 3 Newer Drugs That Could Power Eli Lilly’s Next Leg Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline diversification is improving: New Omvoh analyses showed meaningful one-year corticosteroid-free disease control in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, including patients who had failed prior biologics. Lilly also announced oncology research collaborations, adding potential long-term pipeline value beyond its GLP-1 franchise. New Omvoh Composite Outcomes Data
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk: Lilly’s exceptional obesity-driven growth and strong recent performance have pushed investor expectations high. Articles questioned whether future cash-flow growth is sufficient to justify the stock’s premium valuation, increasing the possibility of volatility if results or guidance disappoint. Eli Lilly’s Growth Is Exceptional. Is Its Valuation Asking Too Much?
• Negative Sentiment: Large shareholder sale adds a technical overhang: The Lilly Foundation is selling approximately 300,000 shares valued near $347 million. Reports indicate the transaction is not tied to concerns about Lilly’s business outlook, but a sizable sale can still raise short-term supply and sentiment concerns. Eli Lilly’s Biggest Shareholder Is Selling $347 Million of Stock

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on LLY shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,419.00 to $1,430.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings raised Eli Lilly and Company from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,400.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,251.00 to $1,334.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,370.00 to $1,376.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,313.43.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $1,258.04 on Friday. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $1,180.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1,107.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.18 trillion, a P/E ratio of 42.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.46. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $783.85 and a 12 month high of $1,292.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $8.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.40 by $1.98. The business had revenue of $22.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.82 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 97.83% and a net margin of 33.53%. The business's revenue was up 47.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $6.31 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-36.500 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 33.56 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly, the company researches, develops, manufactures and markets medicines for a range of conditions, including diabetes, obesity, cancer, immunological disorders, neurological diseases and pain.

Its products include Mounjaro and Zepbound, which contain tirzepatide and are used for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management, respectively. Other key medicines include Trulicity for diabetes, Verzenio for certain breast cancers, Taltz for inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, Humalog insulin, and Kisunla for early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease.

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