Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Trading Up 2.3% – Time to Buy?

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) rose 2.3% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $1,059.84 and last traded at $1,038.59. Approximately 3,585,182 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 4% from the average daily volume of 3,455,708 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,015.21.

Eli Lilly and Company News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company built a $1.5 billion pre‑launch inventory of its experimental oral weight‑loss pill—investors view this as preparation for strong commercial launch if FDA approves in April, signaling management confidence in demand and near‑term revenue upside. Eli Lilly builds $1.5 billion stockpile of weight-loss pill ahead of FDA decision
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and strong FY2026 guidance underpin the rally—robust GLP‑1 sales (Zepbound) and a raised outlook support higher EPS expectations and justify premium multiples. How to Play Eli Lilly Stock Following a Robust Q4 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and new buy ratings (including TipRanks and Freedom Capital) are lifting sentiment and may prompt more institutional buying. Eli Lilly Stock (LLY) Gets New ‘Buy Rating’ After Strong Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly agreed to acquire Orna Therapeutics for up to $2.4B to expand its RNA platform—adds longer‑term pipeline optionality beyond GLP‑1s and supports growth narrative. Eli Lilly to acquire ‘world’s most innovative biotech startup’ for up to $2.4B
• Positive Sentiment: Large investors are increasing positions (Fisher Asset Management added shares), which supports conviction among institutional holders. Fisher Asset Management Boosts Eli Lilly Stake by 153K Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlight LLY as a top biotech exposure into AI‑assisted drug discovery and long‑term forecasts out to 2030—useful for thematic investors but less likely to move near‑term price. 2 Biotech Stocks to Buy as AI Drug Discovery Lifts Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Market write‑ups and price‑target forecasts (24/7 Wall St., Motley Fool) reinforce the bull case but are background context rather than immediate catalysts. Eli Lilly Stock Price Prediction and Forecast 2026-2030
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive dynamics: reports that Novo Nordisk plans to copy Lilly’s vial packaging approach for GLP‑1s (Wegovy in vials) could reduce a distribution/price advantage for Lilly’s injectables and signal intensifying competition. Novo to follow Lilly and sell obesity shot Wegovy in vials
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk remains binary—if the FDA delays or denies approval of the oral weight‑loss pill in April, the large pre‑launch inventory could lead to write‑downs and a rapid sentiment reversal. Eli Lilly builds $1.5 billion stockpile of weight-loss pill ahead of FDA decision

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Truist Financial set a $1,281.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $976.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $775.00 to $830.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,217.71.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 2.3%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. The stock has a market cap of $981.86 billion, a PE ratio of 45.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1,051.24 and a 200 day moving average of $903.76.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.48 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $19.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.85 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 31.66% and a return on equity of 112.50%. The firm’s revenue was up 42.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.32 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $1.73 dividend. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.14%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LLY. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 22.0% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,597 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,409,000 after acquiring an additional 1,730 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,471 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,136,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. OneAscent Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 32.0% during the 2nd quarter. OneAscent Wealth Management LLC now owns 359 shares of the company’s stock worth $280,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 19.0% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 140,201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $109,291,000 after purchasing an additional 22,410 shares during the period. Finally, Moran Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 4.0% in the second quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,829 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,662,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company’s 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.