Sovran Advisors LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Key Points

• Sovran Advisors LLC increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 65.9% during the second quarter, owning 1,671 shares valued at approximately $1.3 million.
• While analysts have mixed ratings, the consensus rating for Eli Lilly is "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $939.61.
• The company reported a 37.6% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue, totaling $15.56 billion, and earnings per share of $6.31, exceeding expectations.

Sovran Advisors LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 65.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,671 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 664 shares during the quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC's holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $1,300,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in LLY. WestEnd Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 210.0% in the first quarter. WestEnd Advisors LLC now owns 31 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 180.0% during the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 42 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the first quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on LLY shares. Erste Group Bank downgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 5th. Daiwa America downgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 30th. Finally, Leerink Partnrs downgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $939.61.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $762.84 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $739.17 and its 200-day moving average is $772.98. The company has a market cap of $722.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $623.78 and a 12 month high of $939.86.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $6.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.59 by $0.72. The company had revenue of $15.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.40 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 92.72% and a net margin of 25.91%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 37.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.92 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 21.750-23.000 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. Eli Lilly and Company's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, CEO David A. Ricks bought 1,632 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $644.77 per share, for a total transaction of $1,052,264.64. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 546,601 shares in the company, valued at $352,431,926.77. This represents a 0.30% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Gabrielle Sulzberger bought 117 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $641.18 per share, for a total transaction of $75,018.06. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 2,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,733,109.54. This trade represents a 4.52% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders bought 4,514 shares of company stock worth $2,894,841. Insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity.

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