Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Trims Stake in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management cut its Eli Lilly stake by 99.2% in the fourth quarter, selling more than 231,000 shares and leaving it with 1,829 shares worth about $1.97 million.
• Eli Lilly posted strong quarterly results, with earnings of $8.55 per share and revenue of $19.80 billion, both well above analyst expectations. Revenue jumped 55.5% year over year, and the company reaffirmed bullish FY 2026 EPS guidance.
• The stock remains supported by positive analyst sentiment and company developments, including multiple recent price-target boosts and news that Lilly is expanding into vaccines through acquisitions worth up to about $3.8 billion.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lowered its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 99.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,829 shares of the company's stock after selling 231,467 shares during the quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $1,966,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cidel Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 26.5% in the third quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 26,726 shares of the company's stock worth $20,392,000 after purchasing an additional 5,591 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.2% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 25.6% in the third 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 last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 30.8% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 31,145 shares of the company's stock worth $33,471,000 after purchasing an additional 7,338 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 3.5% in the third quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 165,165 shares of the company's stock worth $126,022,000 after purchasing an additional 5,595 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:LLY opened at $1,066.77 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.00 trillion, a PE ratio of 37.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a current ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $623.78 and a 12-month high of $1,133.95. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $946.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,006.64.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.97 by $1.58. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 105.77% and a net margin of 34.98%.The company had revenue of $19.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.34 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 55.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-37.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 35.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. Eli Lilly and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 24.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on LLY. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Scotiabank restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,300.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,205.00 to $1,230.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,133.00 to $1,251.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,300.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,227.00.

Eli Lilly and Company News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Eli Lilly announced it will acquire three vaccine developers — Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics, and Vaccine Company — in deals worth up to about $3.8 billion, expanding its infectious-disease and vaccine portfolio beyond diabetes and obesity. Lilly announces three acquisitions to build infectious disease portfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Investors also reacted to strong news from Lilly’s experimental gene therapy VERVE-102, which cut LDL cholesterol and PCSK9 sharply in early trial data, reinforcing optimism around the company’s broader growth pipeline. VERVE-102 trial results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and media coverage continued to highlight Lilly as a long-term winner in obesity and pharma, supported by persistent demand for its weight-loss drugs and upbeat commentary on its growth prospects. Motley Fool article on undervaluation
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market gains and hopes for a diplomatic resolution between the U.S. and Iran helped lift equities overall, providing a supportive backdrop for Lilly alongside the company-specific headlines. Market wrap article
• Neutral Sentiment: Some healthcare-sector weakness on the day may have partially offset the company-specific optimism, but it does not appear to be the main driver for LLY. Healthcare sector decline article

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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