Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Eli Lilly and Company Call Options (NYSE:LLY)

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors purchased 66,549 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 37% compared to the average daily volume of 48,646 call options.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 4.5 %

Shares of NYSE LLY opened at $789.25 on Wednesday. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $561.65 and a twelve month high of $972.53. The stock has a market cap of $749.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 85.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The company’s fifty day moving average is $859.30 and its 200-day moving average is $870.41.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by ($0.34). Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 20.48% and a return on equity of 71.08%. The business had revenue of $11.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 13.2 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. Eli Lilly and Company’s payout ratio is currently 56.22%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on 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. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,033.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,150.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Wolfe Research began coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,000.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Redburn Atlantic raised Eli Lilly and Company to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,007.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $803.38, for a total transaction of $723,042.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,402,522.40. This trade represents a 14.11 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in LLY. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC now owns 811 shares of the company’s stock worth $734,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Verum Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% during the second quarter. Verum Partners LLC now owns 731 shares of the company’s stock worth $662,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 512 shares of the company’s stock valued at $464,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. now owns 2,105 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,865,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prio Wealth Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Prio Wealth Limited Partnership now owns 2,411 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,136,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.53% 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.