Principal Financial Group Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Elanco Animal Health Incorporated $ELAN

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its stake in Elanco Animal Health by 7.3% in the first quarter, adding 94,671 shares to bring its total holdings to 1,386,907 shares worth about $33.2 million.
• Elanco reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.40 versus the $0.34 estimate and revenue of $1.37 billion, up 14.9% year over year. The company also reaffirmed guidance for Q2 2026 EPS of $0.250-$0.285 and FY 2026 EPS of $1.030-$1.090.
• Insider buying and analyst sentiment were both positive, with CEO Jeffrey N. Simmons and insider Rajeev A. Modi each purchasing shares in May. Analysts currently have a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $28.55.

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE:ELAN - Free Report) by 7.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,386,907 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 94,671 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.28% of Elanco Animal Health worth $33,189,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in ELAN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in Elanco Animal Health by 266.4% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,918,336 shares of the company's stock worth $38,635,000 after buying an additional 1,394,839 shares during the period. Peak Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in Elanco Animal Health in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,756,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Elanco Animal Health during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,415,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. acquired a new position in shares of Elanco Animal Health during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,947,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of Elanco Animal Health by 3,682.0% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,252,961 shares of the company's stock worth $50,985,000 after acquiring an additional 2,193,391 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.48% of the company's stock.

Elanco Animal Health Stock Up 0.0%

ELAN opened at $25.84 on Monday. Elanco Animal Health Incorporated has a 1 year low of $13.39 and a 1 year high of $27.72. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $23.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $23.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 2.16. The company has a market cap of $12.91 billion, a PE ratio of -51.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.68.

Elanco Animal Health (NYSE:ELAN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.06. Elanco Animal Health had a negative net margin of 4.95% and a positive return on equity of 7.42%. The firm had revenue of $1.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.28 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.37 earnings per share. Elanco Animal Health's revenue was up 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Elanco Animal Health has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.250-0.285 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 1.030-1.090 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Elanco Animal Health Incorporated will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Elanco Animal Health

In other Elanco Animal Health news, insider Rajeev A. Modi purchased 4,911 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $20.35 per share, with a total value of $99,938.85. Following the transaction, the insider owned 160,812 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,272,524.20. This trade represents a 3.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Jeffrey N. Simmons purchased 4,971 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was bought at an average price of $20.09 per share, with a total value of $99,867.39. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 171,971 shares in the company, valued at $3,454,897.39. This represents a 2.98% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 1.14% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on ELAN shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Elanco Animal Health from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Elanco Animal Health from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Elanco Animal Health from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Elanco Animal Health in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Elanco Animal Health from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Elanco Animal Health presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $28.55.

Elanco Animal Health Profile

Elanco Animal Health Inc is a global leader in animal health dedicated to improving food and companion animal well-being. The company develops, manufactures and markets a range of products, including parasiticides, vaccines, antibiotics and feed additives designed to prevent and treat disease in livestock and pets. Elanco's portfolio spans both food-producing animals—such as cattle, swine, poultry and aquaculture—and companion animals, with offerings that support parasite control, pain management and infectious disease prevention.

Originally founded as the animal health division of Eli Lilly and Company in the mid-20th century, Elanco was spun off into an independent publicly traded company in 2018.

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