Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Trading Down 1.6% – Should You Sell?

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) shares fell 1.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $979.18 and last traded at $981.8940. 2,564,705 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 36% from the average session volume of 4,035,817 shares. The stock had previously closed at $997.59.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on LLY shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Erste Group Bank raised Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,171.00 to $1,290.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,010.00 to $900.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $1,200.00 price objective on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,087.32.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $924.25 and a two-hundred day moving average of $812.32. The firm has a market cap of $928.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $7.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.42 by $0.60. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 109.52% and a net margin of 30.99%.The firm had revenue of $17.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.09 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.18 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 53.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 23.000-23.700 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $1.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This is a positive change from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Eli Lilly and Company’s payout ratio is presently 29.35%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 84.2% during the third quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 35 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Steph & Co. grew its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 290.0% in the 3rd quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 39 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

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.