Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. Takes Position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 10,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,484,000. Eli Lilly and Company makes up approximately 0.9% of Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of LLY. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 117.1% during the third quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 46,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 24,879 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FPC Investment Advisory Inc. raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 358.3% during the fourth quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 55 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Leerink Partners set a $950.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $970.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $997.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,007.50.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $868.59 on Friday. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $711.40 and a 12 month high of $972.53. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $826.63 and its 200-day moving average is $848.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. The company has a market capitalization of $823.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 74.17, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.45 by ($0.13). Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 23.51% and a return on equity of 85.24%. Equities research analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.24%.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Monday, December 9th that authorizes the company to buyback $15.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is 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.