Welch & Forbes LLC Grows Position in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Welch & Forbes LLC increased its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 12.5% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 168,196 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 18,751 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company comprises 1.5% of Welch & Forbes LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $128,334,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 114.3% during the 2nd quarter. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. now owns 77,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,253,000 after buying an additional 41,222 shares during the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 189.6% in the third quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,283,000 after acquiring an additional 11,396 shares in the last quarter. Rede Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter worth about $487,000. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 15.3% during the second quarter. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $229,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 25.8% in the third quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 8,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,859,000 after purchasing an additional 1,843 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of LLY stock opened at $1,037.84 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $981.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. Eli Lilly and Company has a fifty-two week low of $623.78 and a fifty-two week high of $1,133.95. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,056.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $888.67.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $7.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.42 by $0.60. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 109.52%. The firm had revenue of $17.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.18 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 53.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a $1.73 dividend. This is a boost from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.35%.

Key Eli Lilly and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: CEO David Ricks said impending Medicare coverage for obesity drugs could “change the game” for the launch of Lilly’s oral obesity candidate orforglipron, signaling a major commercial catalyst if access and reimbursement broaden this year. Eli Lilly CEO says Medicare coverage of obesity drugs could ‘change the game’ for upcoming pill launch
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly announced a $3.5 billion Lehigh Valley (PA) injectable manufacturing plant to produce next‑gen weight‑loss drugs (including retatrutide), expanding U.S. capacity and creating ~2,800 jobs — a material long‑term supply and growth investment. Eli Lilly to build $3.5 billion Pennsylvania plant in US manufacturing push
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target sharply to $1,250 and maintained a buy rating, providing analyst backing that can support further upside and investor confidence. TD Cowen adjusts price target on Eli Lilly and Co to $1,250
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly expanded its R&D and partnering footprint with a ~ $1.93B deal with Repertoire (autoimmune therapies) and other gene‑editing/oncology investments, diversifying future growth drivers beyond GLP‑1s. Lilly signs up to $1.93 billion deal with Repertoire for autoimmune therapies
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitor Novo Nordisk ramped U.S. advertising for Wegovy/Ozempic after prior supply constraints eased, outspending Lilly — a sign of intensifying marketing competition in obesity that could pressure share gains or require higher promotional spend. Novo Nordisk Outspends Eli Lilly On Wegovy, Ozempic Ads After Supply Crunch Eases
• Negative Sentiment: The FDA action date for Lilly’s oral weight‑loss pill orforglipron was moved to April 10 (Q2), delaying potential revenue contribution and near‑term clarity on approval — a timing risk that can cap upside until the new decision date. FDA Decision on Eli Lilly’s Weight Loss Pill Delayed to Q2

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on LLY shares. CICC Research boosted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $801.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Berenberg Bank upped their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $830.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. National Bankshares set a $1,286.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Monday, December 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Finally, Wolfe Research increased their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,162.75.

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.