Willis Investment Counsel Acquires 1,255 Shares of Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Key Points

• Willis Investment Counsel increased its Eli Lilly stake by 7% in the third quarter, acquiring 1,255 shares and bringing its total holdings to 19,272 shares valued at approximately $22.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 82.53% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $1,317.93. Recent targets were raised by Cantor Fitzgerald and JPMorgan, although one analyst downgraded the stock to “Hold.”
• Eli Lilly reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $8.38 beating estimates and revenue rising 47.7% year over year to $22.97 billion. However, insider selling, premium valuation, pricing pressure and increasing obesity-drug competition remain key risks.

Willis Investment Counsel grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 7.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 19,272 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,255 shares during the quarter. Willis Investment Counsel's holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $22,299,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Maseco LLP lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 466.7% in the first quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 34 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 60.0% in the 1st quarter. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 40 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. AlphaCentric Advisors LLC bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 1st quarter valued at about $42,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 2nd quarter valued at about $64,000. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 500.0% during the 2nd quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 60 shares of the company's stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,410.00 to $1,440.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Leerink Partners increased their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,309.00 to $1,316.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,400.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, October 17th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $1,400.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,317.93.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other news, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,175.10, for a total transaction of $7,638,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 54,147 shares in the company, valued at approximately $63,628,139.70. This trade represents a 10.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Donald Zakrowski sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,185.01, for a total transaction of $2,370,020.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,526 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,808,325.26. This trade represents a 56.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 13,500 shares of company stock valued at $15,958,170. 0.14% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of LLY stock opened at $1,271.89 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,182.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,116.53. Eli Lilly and Company has a fifty-two week low of $793.82 and a fifty-two week high of $1,311.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.20 trillion, a P/E ratio of 42.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $8.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.40 by $1.98. The firm had revenue of $22.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.82 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 97.83% and a net margin of 33.53%. Eli Lilly and Company's revenue was up 47.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $6.31 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-36.500 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 33.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher analyst target and expected earnings strength: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $1,413 from $1,371 while maintaining a Buy rating. The firm reportedly expects Eli Lilly to beat third-quarter estimates and raise its outlook, supported by international Mounjaro growth and Zepbound volume gains. Goldman Sachs raises Eli Lilly price target
• Positive Sentiment: International manufacturing expansion: Eli Lilly signed Abu Dhabi agreements involving local packaging and advanced pharmaceutical contract manufacturing for weight-loss medicines. The company also entered a drug-delivery partnership with China’s Metis TechBio valued at up to $1.1 billion, potentially strengthening supply capacity and product-delivery capabilities. Eli Lilly Abu Dhabi packaging deal
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline expansion: One-year Phase 3 SHINE-2 data showed Omvoh sustained clinical-remission benefits in children with ulcerative colitis, including patients who had previously failed biologic treatments. Regulatory approval could expand Lilly’s inflammatory bowel disease franchise. Pediatric ulcerative colitis data
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong growth, but pricing is a key upcoming issue: Second-quarter revenue increased 48% to approximately $23 billion as medicine volume rose 60%, while realized price per unit declined 13%. Investors will focus on whether continued demand and volume growth can offset pricing pressure when third-quarter results are released on October 29. Eli Lilly volume and pricing analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and valuation risks: Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema produced 25% weight loss in women, reinforcing competitive pressure in the obesity-treatment market. After a substantial rally and record valuation, investors may also be taking profits or demanding stronger evidence that Lilly’s growth can justify its premium multiple. Novo Nordisk CagriSema results

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

Eli Lilly and Company NYSE: LLY is a global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets medicines for a range of medical conditions. Its major therapeutic areas include diabetes and obesity, oncology, immunology, neuroscience and cardiovascular health.

The company's portfolio includes Mounjaro and Trulicity for diabetes, Zepbound for chronic weight management, Humalog insulin, Taltz for inflammatory diseases, Verzenio for certain breast cancers and Kisunla for early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease.

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