Ameriflex Group Inc. Makes New Investment in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 469 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $381,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. increased its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 358.3% in the fourth quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 55 shares of the company's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Prudent Man Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $48,000. Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $50,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $58,000. Finally, Bellwether Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $66,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

Shares of LLY stock traded up $4.31 on Thursday, hitting $723.70. 918,849 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,614,376. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $677.09 and a 1-year high of $972.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The company's fifty day moving average is $782.03 and its 200 day moving average is $801.29. The company has a market capitalization of $685.88 billion, a PE ratio of 61.77, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.48.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $3.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.64 by ($1.30). The business had revenue of $12.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.77 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 85.24% and a net margin of 23.51%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 45.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.58 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. Eli Lilly and Company's payout ratio is currently 48.82%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LLY. HSBC lowered shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "buy" rating to a "reduce" rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $1,150.00 to $700.00 in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Hsbc Global Res cut shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "moderate sell" rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,011.37.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $818.24, for a total transaction of $818,240.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,840 shares in the company, valued at $4,778,521.60. This represents a 14.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity.