Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Shares Sold by Private Advisor Group LLC

Private Advisor Group LLC trimmed its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by 0.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 80,829 shares of the company's stock after selling 467 shares during the quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC's holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $62,399,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% in the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Hara Capital LLC purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $58,000. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $975.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $1,015.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 4th. StockNews.com raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $970.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,029.00 to $1,038.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $997.50.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

LLY traded up $2.48 on Friday, hitting $875.60. 2,906,857 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,730,904. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.27. The business's fifty day moving average is $799.63 and its 200 day moving average is $846.07. Eli Lilly and Company has a fifty-two week low of $711.40 and a fifty-two week high of $972.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $831.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 74.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.42.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.45 by ($0.13). Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 86.26% and a net margin of 23.51%. As a group, sell-side 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 Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This is a positive change from Eli Lilly and Company's previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. Eli Lilly and Company's dividend payout ratio is currently 51.24%.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Monday, December 9th that allows the company to repurchase $15.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.