Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC Trims Stake in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Key Points

• Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC cut its stake by 39% in Eli Lilly in Q4, selling 2,739 shares and leaving it with 4,277 shares valued at about $4.6 million (0.7% of the firm’s portfolio, its 28th largest holding).
• Eli Lilly agreed to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion, marking at least a second oncology buy this month as management pushes to diversify beyond GLP‑1s and bolster its blood‑cancer pipeline.
• The company beat Q1 estimates with $19.29 billion in revenue and $7.54 EPS (revenues up 42.6% year‑over‑year), issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance of 33.5–35.0, and retains a consensus “Moderate Buy” analyst rating with an average target of about $1,216.52.

Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC cut its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 39.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,277 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,739 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company makes up approximately 0.7% of Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC's holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $4,596,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 189.6% during the 3rd quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,408 shares of the company's stock worth $13,283,000 after acquiring an additional 11,396 shares in the last quarter. Rede Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at about $487,000. Cidel Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 26.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 26,726 shares of the company's stock valued at $20,392,000 after purchasing an additional 5,591 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 27,719 shares of the company's stock worth $29,789,000 after purchasing an additional 592 shares during the period. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 25.6% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 42,418 shares of the company's stock worth $32,365,000 after purchasing an additional 8,659 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LLY has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays began coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, February 19th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $1,350.00 price objective on the stock. Daiwa Securities Group upped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,230.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $1,285.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. HSBC lowered shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "hold" rating to a "reduce" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $1,070.00 to $850.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and set a $1,300.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,216.52.

Key Eli Lilly and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lilly agreed to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion, adding AJ1-11095, a first‑in‑class Type II JAK2 inhibitor for myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera; the deal bolsters Lilly’s blood‑cancer pipeline and comes with Phase 1 data milestones later in 2026. Eli Lilly to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: April marks a continued buying spree for Lilly—this is at least the second oncology acquisition this month—signaling management’s deliberate push to diversify beyond GLP‑1s and build durable oncology revenues. Lilly Bets Again on Blood Cancer With Second Acquisition This Month (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer flagged Lilly as a company that “will tell a good story” heading into earnings despite recent controversy, reflecting that broadcasters and some investors expect management to present positive near‑term messaging. Jim Cramer Says Eli Lilly “Will Tell a Good Story When It Reports” (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and preview pieces highlight that Q1 earnings will be pivotal: GLP‑1 demand, pricing pressure, and Foundayo launch trends are key metrics to watch when Lilly reports. Will These 5 Drug Bigwigs Surpass Q1 Earnings Forecasts? (Zacks)
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader sector M&A (e.g., Organon/Sun Pharma) is keeping investor focus on consolidation in pharma, which can support valuation multiples for active acquirers like Lilly. Organon Rides the Pharma M&A Wave With Sun Takeover (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Prescription data show Lilly’s oral Foundayo trailing Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill at a similar launch stage, raising concerns about market share, launch momentum and near‑term revenue upside for Lilly’s obesity franchise. GLP-1 pill race heats up as Wegovy tablet holds strong against Lilly rival (Proactive)
• Negative Sentiment: Leerink Partners cut its price target on LLY from $1,296 to $1,058 while maintaining an outperform rating, a signal that at least some analysts see more near‑term downside or muted upside versus prior expectations. Leerink Partners adjusts PT on Eli Lilly (MarketScreener)

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of LLY opened at $868.59 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $955.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $985.96. Eli Lilly and Company has a one year low of $623.78 and a one year high of $1,133.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $820.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.85, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.51.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $7.48 by $0.06. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 102.94% and a net margin of 31.66%.The company had revenue of $19.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $5.32 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 42.6% on a year-over-year basis. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 33.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.