Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 47,128 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 20% compared to the average volume of 39,211 call options.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $1,105.37 on Friday. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $623.78 and a 1 year high of $1,149.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.50. The company has a market capitalization of $1.04 trillion, a P/E ratio of 39.27, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.48. The company’s fifty day moving average is $955.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,009.78.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.55 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $19.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.34 EPS. 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. Analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 35.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $1.73 dividend. 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 24.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on LLY shares. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Leerink Partners set a $1,119.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday. 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. Scotiabank reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,300.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, CICC Research raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,060.00 to $1,107.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,227.00.

Key Eli Lilly and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CVS Caremark is restoring coverage for Zepbound and adding Foundayo to drug plans, meaning all three major PBMs now cover Lilly’s full obesity portfolio. That should expand access for millions of patients and strengthen Lilly’s market share versus Novo Nordisk. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Reuters also reported that Mounjaro outperformed other GLP-1 drugs in some type 2 diabetes patients, reinforcing Lilly’s competitive edge in the diabetes and obesity markets. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street is also reacting to Lilly’s broader pipeline momentum, including positive Phase 1b data for Verve-102 and progress in olomorasib, which supports the view that Lilly is more than just a weight-loss story. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly announced a major push into vaccines, including the planned acquisition of Curevo Vaccine for $1.5 billion and other vaccine-developer deals, signaling a new long-term growth avenue outside cardiometabolic care. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage has been upbeat, with commentary highlighting Lilly’s “brilliant management,” record valuation, and strong pipeline, which can help sustain momentum in the stock. Article Title

Institutional Trading of Eli Lilly and Company

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Basso Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Miller Global Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. lifted its stake 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 valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 24 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.