Highland Capital Management LLC Increases Holdings in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Key Points

• Highland Capital increased its stake in Eli Lilly by 125.4% in Q4 to 10,722 shares worth $11.52 million, while about 82.53% of LLY is held by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
• Q1 blowout: Lilly reported $8.55 EPS (vs. $6.97 est.) and $19.80B revenue (+55.5% y/y) driven by Mounjaro/Zepbound/Foundayo, and raised FY2026 guidance to 35.50–37.00 EPS.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly bullish—most firms maintain Buy/Strong Buy views and the average price target is $1,217.59 (two Strong Buy, 23 Buy, 4 Hold, 1 Sell).

Highland Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 125.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,722 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,966 shares during the quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC's holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $11,523,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 81,965,974 shares of the company's stock worth $88,087,193,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006,885 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.6% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,726,558 shares of the company's stock worth $26,496,364,000 after purchasing an additional 219,590 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 20.9% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 25,088,371 shares of the company's stock worth $19,141,787,000 after purchasing an additional 4,332,008 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 4.1% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 14,563,780 shares of the company's stock worth $11,112,164,000 after purchasing an additional 574,229 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 6.1% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 10,001,509 shares of the company's stock worth $7,628,447,000 after purchasing an additional 579,381 shares during the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LLY has been the subject of several recent research reports. Truist Financial reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $960.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,150.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $875.00 to $880.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $1,200.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,217.59.

Eli Lilly and Company News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat-and-raise: Lilly reported a blowout Q1 (strong EPS and +56% revenue growth driven by Mounjaro/Zepbound/Foundayo) and raised guidance, a primary driver of recent positive sentiment. LLY Stock Pops 16% After Beat-and-Raise Q1: Buy, Hold or Take Profits?
• Positive Sentiment: Commercial momentum: Mounjaro became the world’s top‑selling drug in Q1 (multi‑billion sales) supporting revenue durability and margin expansion expectations. Eli Lilly Now Has the World's Best-Selling Drug -- But Does That Make the Stock a No-Brainer Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Manufacturing buildout: Lilly committed another $4.5B to Indiana manufacturing (over $21B since 2020) to secure supply for APIs and genetic medicines — reduces production risk and supports volume growth. Lilly commits additional $4.5 billion across Indiana manufacturing sites
• Positive Sentiment: Clinical progress beyond obesity: New LUCENT-3 data for Omvoh (mirikizumab) showing durable disease clearance in ulcerative colitis supports pipeline diversification and long‑term growth. Eli Lilly Advances As Inflammatory Bowel Disease Drug Reinforces Long-Term Confidence
• Neutral Sentiment: Governance vote: Shareholders upheld the board and current governance structure at the May 4 annual meeting — removes near‑term activist/governance uncertainty. Eli Lilly Shareholders Back Board, Maintain Governance Structure
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst tone: Several firms reiterated buy/strong‑buy views (Guggenheim; analysts highlight growth profile), which supports the bull case but also reflects already elevated expectations. Guggenheim Reiterates "Buy" Rating for Eli Lilly and Company NYSE: LLY
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and market share risk: Novo Nordisk’s strong pill data and raised guidance highlight intensifying competition (oral GLP‑1s and Wegovy momentum) that could pressure pricing and growth expectations for Lilly. Novo and Lilly gain on signs weight-loss pills could expand the market
• Negative Sentiment: Safety report & market reaction: An adverse event report involving hepatic failure tied to Foundayo prompted investor caution; Wolfe Research says the market reaction may be overdone, but the item still adds short‑term volatility. Wolfe Research Says Market Reaction on Eli Lilly (LLY) Foundayo Report Appears Overdone
• Negative Sentiment: Market chatter on financing: Reports that Lilly might sell bonds (~$8B) to fund deals introduced funding/strategy questions (company provided updates), creating short‑term investor unease. Update: Market Chatter: Eli Lilly Plans to Sell About $8 Billion of Bonds to Fund Acquisitions

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 1.2%

Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $974.82 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $918.03 billion, a PE ratio of 34.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 0.48. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $623.78 and a 12 month high of $1,133.95. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $943.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $990.90. 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 posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.55 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.97 by $1.58. The business had revenue of $19.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.82 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 105.77% and a net margin of 34.98%.The business's revenue was up 55.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.34 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-37.000 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 35.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Eli Lilly and Company's payout ratio 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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