Meridian Wealth Management LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Key Points

• Meridian Wealth Management increased its Eli Lilly stake by 24.1% in the fourth quarter, adding 2,685 shares to bring its total to 13,818 shares worth about $14.85 million.
• Eli Lilly continues to draw strong institutional interest, with hedge funds and other investors owning 82.53% of the stock, while analysts remain broadly upbeat with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $1,218.33.
• The company delivered a strong quarter, reporting $8.55 EPS and $19.80 billion in revenue, both above expectations, as revenue jumped 55.5% year over year and its obesity pipeline news and manufacturing expansion continue to support optimism.

Meridian Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 24.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,818 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,685 shares during the quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $14,850,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 84.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 35 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. 10Elms LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 33.3% in the 3rd quarter. 10Elms LLP now owns 40 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Miller Global Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Hopwood Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 113.6% in the 3rd quarter. Hopwood Financial Services Inc. now owns 47 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on LLY shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $880.00 to $900.00 in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Berenberg Bank boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $950.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,230.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $1,183.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,218.33.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

NYSE LLY opened at $990.11 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $932.43 billion, a PE ratio of 35.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.48. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $623.78 and a 52 week high of $1,133.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $939.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $994.31.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $1.58. The business had revenue of $19.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.82 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 34.98% and a return on equity of 105.77%. The company's revenue was up 55.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.34 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-37.000 EPS. Research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 35.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

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

Key Eli Lilly and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Late-stage SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN and ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trials showed patients maintained most of their weight loss after switching from higher-dose injectable incretin therapy to Lilly’s new oral weight-loss pill Foundayo or to a lower dose of Zepbound, supporting the company’s long-term obesity pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Reuters reported that patients in a late-stage trial did not regain significant weight after switching from an injectable GLP-1 therapy to Foundayo, which could strengthen confidence in Lilly’s ability to expand beyond injections into oral obesity treatments. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage framing Lilly as a dominant player in GLP-1s and a top momentum name may be adding to investor optimism around sustained demand for Zepbound and future obesity launches. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly also announced another $4.5 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing capacity, signaling it is preparing for continued strong demand for its weight-loss drugs. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s 150th-anniversary charitable food-distribution initiative is positive for corporate image, but it is unlikely to have a direct near-term impact on earnings or the stock. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Roche and Lilly’s Alzheimer’s blood-test partnership clearing a European regulatory hurdle is a longer-term catalyst, but it is not yet a major revenue driver. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: An emerging obesity competitor, Kailera Therapeutics, was highlighted as a new IPO trying to challenge Lilly and Novo Nordisk, underscoring growing competition in the obesity market. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Separately, Reuters reported Lilly paused an India obesity-awareness campaign after regulatory scrutiny, which could create some near-term international marketing noise. Article Title

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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