Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 460 Shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Key Points

• Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 12.6% in the first quarter, now holding 3,188 shares valued at approximately $2.63 million.
• Shares of Eli Lilly have experienced a recent price increase, trading at $811.73, with a market cap of around $769.31 billion.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.50 per share, reflecting an annualized yield of 0.74%, with a payout ratio of 48.82%.

Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. trimmed its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 12.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,188 shares of the company's stock after selling 460 shares during the period. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $2,633,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. WestEnd Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 210.0% during the 1st quarter. WestEnd Advisors LLC now owns 31 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 180.0% in the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 42 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, O Brien Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 25.5% in the 1st quarter. O Brien Wealth Partners LLC now owns 59 shares of the company's stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $975.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,100.00 to $1,050.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. HSBC downgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "buy" rating to a "reduce" rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $1,150.00 to $700.00 in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $892.00 to $888.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,012.56.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:LLY traded up $6.30 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $811.73. 2,976,064 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,810,305. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. The company has a market cap of $769.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 66.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.40. Eli Lilly and Company has a one year low of $677.09 and a one year high of $972.53. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $771.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $800.41.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $3.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.64 by ($1.30). The company had revenue of $12.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.77 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 22.67% and a return on equity of 85.51%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 45.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.58 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 15th will be given a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 15th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.74%. Eli Lilly and Company's payout ratio is 48.82%.

About Eli Lilly and Company

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.