Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. Lowers Stake in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Key Points

• Sumitomo Life Insurance reduced its Eli Lilly stake by 3.9% in the second quarter, selling 1,507 shares and retaining 37,489 shares valued at approximately $45 million. Institutional investors collectively own 82.53% of LLY.
• Eli Lilly reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $8.38 per share and revenue of $22.97 billion, up 47.7% year over year and above analyst expectations. The company maintained 2026 earnings guidance of $35.50–$36.50 per share.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $1,292.18, but elevated valuation and concerns about GLP-1 drug coverage restrictions could increase volatility.

Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. cut its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 3.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 37,489 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,507 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company comprises about 0.7% of Sumitomo Life Insurance Co.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co.'s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $44,965,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LLY. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $12,976,634,000. J. Stern & Co. LLP raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 46,191.3% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 4,047,245 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,047,245,000 after acquiring an additional 4,038,502 shares in the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. boosted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 876.1% in the fourth quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 2,375,050 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,552,419,000 after purchasing an additional 2,131,734 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 321.3% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,963,490 shares of the company's stock worth $1,805,959,000 after purchasing an additional 1,497,423 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 10.6% in 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Zepbound real-world data: A study found that sustained Zepbound use among adults over 55 with overweight or obesity was associated with fewer hospital and emergency-room visits and lower healthcare costs. The findings could support broader payer acceptance and strengthen the case for Medicare coverage. Zepbound linked to lower healthcare costs
• Positive Sentiment: Alzheimer’s diagnostic milestone: The FDA cleared a blood test developed by Lilly and Roche to help identify Alzheimer’s-related amyloid pathology. A less-invasive test could expand access to diagnosis and support demand for Lilly’s Alzheimer’s franchise, including Kisunla. Eli Lilly clears hurdle in Alzheimer’s fight
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline diversification: Oncology revenue increased 11% in the first half of 2026, while newer products and pipeline candidates may help Lilly reduce its dependence on GLP-1 medicines. Lilly also advanced brenipatide into a Phase 3 depression study, adding another potential long-term growth opportunity. Lilly oncology portfolio growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and positioning: Lilly remains near its 52-week high, and analysts’ median price target of approximately $1,348.50 implies additional upside. However, the elevated valuation leaves the stock vulnerable to sharp reactions when growth or reimbursement concerns emerge.
• Negative Sentiment: GLP-1 coverage concerns are weighing on sentiment: Employer-benefit surveys and reports that some companies may reduce coverage for weight-management drugs have renewed fears that payer restrictions could slow Zepbound and future oral obesity-drug adoption. The decline appears more sentiment-driven than a response to weaker operating results. GLP-1 coverage concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Cost-savings evidence has limitations: Lilly-sponsored research supports Zepbound’s medical and economic value, but critics note that the analysis measured healthcare savings before accounting for the drug’s price. This may weaken the immediate impact of the findings in payer negotiations. Lilly cost-saving study limitations

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

LLY opened at $1,175.01 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.11 trillion, a PE ratio of 39.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The business's 50-day moving average is $1,187.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,064.57. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $712.05 and a 1 year high of $1,292.65.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $8.38 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $22.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $6.31 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 47.7% on a year-over-year basis. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-36.500 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 36.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $1.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Eli Lilly and Company's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,185.01, for a total transaction of $2,370,020.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 1,526 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,808,325.26. This represents a 56.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,175.10, for a total value of $7,638,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 54,147 shares of the company's stock, valued at $63,628,139.70. The trade was 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. Insiders sold a total of 13,500 shares of company stock worth $15,958,170 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on LLY. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,235.00 to $1,273.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Berenberg Bank raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,135.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Barclays upped their price objective 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 note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,500.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,292.18.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report).

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.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source