Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Trading Up 2.8% on Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) were up 2.8% during trading on Friday after Guggenheim raised their price target on the stock from $1,161.00 to $1,168.00. Guggenheim currently has a buy rating on the stock. Eli Lilly and Company traded as high as $1,053.00 and last traded at $1,050.3940. Approximately 4,230,290 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 26% from the average daily volume of 3,365,929 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,022.02.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,230.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Wolfe Research raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,200.00 to $1,285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Leerink Partners boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,234.00 to $1,296.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $1,200.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,229.59.

Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Phase 3 ACHIEVE‑3 head‑to‑head results show Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 orforglipron delivered superior A1C reduction and weight loss versus oral semaglutide in type 2 diabetes — a major commercial and clinical win that strengthens Lilly’s obesity/diabetes franchise and supports pending regulatory filings (U.S. action for obesity eyed in Q2). Lilly reports ACHIEVE-3 trial outcomes for type 2 diabetes
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital initiated coverage with an Outperform and $1,250 price target, citing Lilly’s long‑term leadership in obesity — the call adds institutional buy interest and gives investors a bullish third‑party valuation anchor. RBC Capital Initiates Eli Lilly (LLY), Cites Long-Term Leadership in Obesity Market
• Positive Sentiment: EMA’s CHMP issued a positive opinion to expand Olumiant (baricitinib) for adolescents with severe alopecia areata — a regulatory win that could widen Olumiant’s label and EU revenues if approved. Lilly’s Olumiant (baricitinib) recommended by CHMP for approval of expanded use in the European Union for adolescents with severe alopecia areata
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile media commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) is favoring Lilly over Novo Nordisk, which can boost retail momentum and sentiment into earnings and upcoming regulatory milestones. Jim Cramer Recommends Eli Lilly over Novo Nordisk
• Neutral Sentiment: Reuters and other outlets released additional safety/tolerability details from the orforglipron vs. oral semaglutide head‑to‑head — useful for assessing commercial uptake but requires deeper read for long‑term impact. Eli Lilly reports additional data on weight-loss pill from diabetes trial
• Neutral Sentiment: Lilly received building permits for a $77M expansion at its Concord, NC manufacturing campus and has deployed its LillyPod supercomputer — both signal capacity/innovation investment that support scale but will weigh on near‑term capex. Eli Lilly plans $77M expansion of manufacturing campus in Concord

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 84.2% in 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. purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Steph & Co. raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 290.0% in the third quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 39 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The stock has a market cap of $990.90 billion, a PE ratio of 45.77, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.39. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $1,053.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $925.14.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.48 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $19.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.85 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 102.94% and a net margin of 31.66%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 42.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.32 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $1.73 per share. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 30.15%.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

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.