Meridian Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 8.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,030 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 1,194 shares during the quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $18,028,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.2% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,361,916 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,002,744,000 after purchasing an additional 635,358 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 15,593,019 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,757,510,000 after purchasing an additional 407,166 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 15,031,750 shares of the company's stock worth $16,154,619,000 after purchasing an additional 61,851 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 14,910,505 shares of the company's stock worth $16,024,022,000 after purchasing an additional 1,432,069 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.
Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance
NYSE LLY opened at $1,280.62 on Thursday. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $1,176.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,056.96. The stock has a market cap of $1.21 trillion, a PE ratio of 42.97, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.51. Eli Lilly and Company has a fifty-two week low of $685.15 and a fifty-two week high of $1,292.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.35.
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $8.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.40 by $1.98. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 33.53% and a return on equity of 97.83%. The company had revenue of $22.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.31 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 47.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-36.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 36.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.73 per share. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Eli Lilly and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.22%.
Insider Activity
In other news, EVP Anat Hakim sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,190.00, for a total transaction of $5,950,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 11,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,131,250. The trade was a 29.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,175.10, for a total transaction of $7,638,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 54,147 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $63,628,139.70. This trade represents a 10.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 13,500 shares of company stock valued at $15,958,170. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities analysts have commented on LLY shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,280.00 to $1,330.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Leerink Partners upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,119.00 to $1,232.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,350.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $1,283.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,292.18.
Read Our Latest Research Report on LLY
Key Stories Impacting Eli Lilly and Company
Here are the key news stories impacting Eli Lilly and Company this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Obesity-drug momentum remains the primary catalyst. Lilly’s Zepbound sales reportedly rose 46%, while its broader GLP-1 portfolio outperformed Novo Nordisk’s in the latest quarter. Investors are also focused on Lilly’s potential oral obesity treatments and retatrutide, which could expand the company’s addressable market beyond weekly injections. How Does LLY's Q2 GLP-1 Portfolio Performance Stack Up Against NVO's?
- Positive Sentiment: Fundamentals support the bullish narrative. Lilly’s latest quarter exceeded consensus estimates, with earnings per share of $8.38 versus $6.40 expected and revenue of $22.97 billion versus $20.82 billion expected. Revenue increased 47.7% year over year, and fiscal 2026 earnings guidance remains strong. Could Eli Lilly Be Worth More Than SpaceX by the End of 2026?
- Positive Sentiment: Pipeline and business-development activity is broadening. Lilly is advancing oral and metabolic-health candidates, completing early-stage work on lepodisiran and LY4086940, and studying a new LY4065967 formulation. Partnerships with OmniAb and AlzeCure add potential neuroscience and central-nervous-system opportunities. Eli Lilly Expands Neuroscience Reach With New Drug Deals
- Neutral Sentiment: Market conditions provided additional support. Lower Treasury yields and gains across major biotech and pharmaceutical stocks improved the sector backdrop, although these factors are not specific to Lilly. Dow Jones Futures: S&P 500, Nasdaq Rise on Treasury Move
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation and competition are key risks. With a market capitalization above $1 trillion and a premium earnings multiple, Lilly must continue delivering strong growth. Novo Nordisk and potential entrants such as Pfizer remain competitors in oral and injectable obesity treatments.
- Negative Sentiment: An insider sale creates a limited headwind. EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,500 shares for approximately $7.6 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. Because the sale was scheduled in advance, it is a weaker bearish signal. SEC Insider Transaction Filing
About Eli Lilly and Company
(
Free Report)
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.
Further Reading

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.

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