HCR Wealth Advisors Cuts Stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

HCR Wealth Advisors reduced its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 11.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,260 shares of the company’s stock after selling 165 shares during the period. HCR Wealth Advisors’ holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $973,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LLY. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 87,091.7% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 12,463,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,041,631,000 after buying an additional 12,448,888 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC increased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 92,759.9% in the 3rd quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 1,022,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $905,774,000 after purchasing an additional 1,021,287 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC increased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 37,140.7% in the 3rd quarter. Integrated Investment Consultants LLC now owns 694,167 shares of the company’s stock valued at $614,990,000 after purchasing an additional 692,303 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank increased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 71.6% in the 2nd quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 1,512,983 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,369,825,000 after purchasing an additional 631,312 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 100.7% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,165,696 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,032,737,000 after purchasing an additional 584,866 shares during the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of NYSE:LLY opened at $758.70 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $720.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 82.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.41. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $784.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $856.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $612.70 and a 1-year high of $972.53.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.52 by ($0.34). Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 71.08% and a net margin of 20.48%. The firm had revenue of $11.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.10 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 13.14 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This is a boost from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.22%.

Eli Lilly and Company declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Monday, December 9th that authorizes the company to repurchase $15.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LLY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,060.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,100.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 1st. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $1,015.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,002.22.

Insider Transactions at Eli Lilly and Company

In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $803.38, for a total value of $723,042.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,402,522.40. This trade represents a 14.11 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

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.