William Blair Investment Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Key Points

• William Blair Investment Management more than doubled its stake in Eli Lilly during the fourth quarter, increasing holdings by 108.2% to 32,016 shares worth about $34.4 million.
• Institutional interest in LLY remains strong overall, with hedge funds and other institutional investors owning 82.53% of the stock. Several other funds also reported new positions or increased stakes in the company.
• Eli Lilly continues to draw attention from investors and analysts thanks to strong operating results and pipeline momentum, including better-than-expected earnings and positive Phase 3 data for retatrutide, though legal disputes still create some headline risk.

William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 108.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 32,016 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,641 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC's holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $34,407,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Miller Global Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 342.9% in the fourth quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 31 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the period. Dorato Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 142.9% in the fourth quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 34 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lilly’s retatrutide reported strong Phase 3 results, boosting confidence in its obesity pipeline and long-term growth prospects. Eli Lilly (LLY) Announces Positive Phase 3 Results for Obesity Treatment Retatrutide
• Positive Sentiment: Reports say Eli Lilly has now captured roughly 60% of the U.S. weight-loss drug market, underscoring commercial momentum versus Novo Nordisk. Eli Lilly Just Made a Game-Changing Move in the Billion-Dollar Weight Loss Drug Space. Here's What You Need to Know.
• Positive Sentiment: Gamco’s Mario Gabelli and ARK’s Cathie Wood both reportedly boosted their LLY holdings, which can be viewed as a vote of confidence from notable investors. Gamco Investors’ Mario Gabelli Boosts Eli Lilly Stake ARK Investment’s Cathie Wood boosts Eli Lilly stake by 12,676 shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Several other funds reported small stake changes in LLY, but these appear to be routine portfolio adjustments rather than a major fundamental signal.
• Negative Sentiment: Lilly also remains in the spotlight for legal overhangs, including a lawsuit tied to alleged drug reimbursement fraud and another dispute involving church leaders, which could create headline risk. Lilly accuses church-linked pharmacies, wholesalers and more of running $200M+ rebate fraud scheme

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on LLY. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $1,283.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,300.00 to $1,330.00 in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Leerink Partners lowered their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,296.00 to $1,058.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,220.37.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

LLY stock opened at $1,066.59 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $942.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $1,004.53. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $623.78 and a 52-week high of $1,133.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.00 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.89, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.50.

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

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.73 per share. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend 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 presently 24.58%.

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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