Wall Street Zen Upgrades Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) to "Strong-Buy"

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Eli Lilly to “strong-buy” from “buy.” MarketBeat reports a broader consensus “moderate buy” rating, with an average price target of $1,292.18.
• Lilly reported strong quarterly results, including $8.38 in EPS versus the $6.40 estimate and revenue of $22.97 billion, up 47.7% year over year. Management issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $35.50 to $36.50.
• Shares were trading down 2.2% at about $1,182, while executives disclosed sales under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. The stock carries a high valuation, with a P/E ratio near 39.7, making it sensitive to profit-taking and any slowdown in obesity-drug growth.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

LLY has been the topic of a number of other reports. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,500.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. UBS Group set a $1,376.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, August 7th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $1,419.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,400.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,292.18.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of LLY stock opened at $1,182.24 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1,170.82 and a 200-day moving average of $1,052.76. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.51. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $685.15 and a 52-week high of $1,249.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.35.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $8.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.40 by $1.98. The business had revenue of $22.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.82 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 33.53% and a return on equity of 97.83%. The firm's revenue was up 47.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $6.31 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-36.500 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 36.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 2,000 shares of the firm's 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 directly owned 1,526 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,808,325.26. This trade represents a 56.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Anat Hakim sold 5,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,190.00, for a total value of $5,950,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 11,875 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,131,250. The trade was a 29.63% 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 own 0.14% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Eli Lilly and Company

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,667,180,000. Kinetic Partners Management LP bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the second quarter worth about $135,200,000. ABS Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter worth approximately $1,438,000. EFG International AG lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 5.1% during the second quarter. EFG International AG now owns 75,750 shares of the company's stock worth $90,905,000 after purchasing an additional 3,705 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 15.6% during the second quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 3,182 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,817,000 after purchasing an additional 430 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: The U.K. regulator approved Lilly’s once-daily oral weight-loss pill, Foundayo (orforglipron), giving the company a potentially important first-mover advantage for an obesity pill in Europe. The approval expands Lilly’s addressable market beyond injectable treatments such as Mounjaro and Zepbound. Eli Lilly Just Scored Europe's First Weight Loss Pill Approval
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly is expanding its obesity pipeline with a new Phase 1 macupatide study in Japan. Although early-stage, the trial reinforces the company’s efforts to develop additional weight-management therapies and support long-term growth. Lilly Expands Obesity Pipeline With Fresh Macupatide Trial in Japan
• Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings showed continued operating momentum: quarterly revenue rose about 48% year over year to roughly $23 billion, while adjusted EPS beat expectations. Growth was led by Mounjaro, Zepbound and other key medicines, and management raised full-year 2026 guidance. Foundayo also generated an initial $98 million in quarterly sales. 5 Revealing Analyst Questions From Eli Lilly’s Q2 Earnings Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to view LLY as a fundamental leader, with reported price targets generally above the current trading level. However, the stock is approaching a technical buy point after a large earnings-driven advance, making valuation and chart resistance important near-term considerations. Eli Lilly Stock Nears Buy Point After Earnings-Fueled Gains
• Negative Sentiment: Insider-selling headlines may be adding pressure: executives have sold shares in recent months, including a reported 2,000-share sale by CFO and Chief Accounting Officer Donald Zakrowski. Lilly also trades at a demanding earnings multiple, leaving the stock sensitive to profit-taking or any signs of slower obesity-drug growth. Donald Zakrowski Sells 2,000 Shares of Eli Lilly Stock

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.

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.

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