Analysts Set Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) PT at $1,009.72

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,009.72.

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $970.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Berenberg Bank set a $970.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $997.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Leerink Partners set a $950.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $1,146.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, March 6th.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

Shares of LLY opened at $839.44 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $795.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 71.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34. The company’s fifty day moving average is $835.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $839.87. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $711.40 and a 1 year high of $972.53.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 earnings per share (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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company declared that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Monday, December 9th that permits the company to repurchase $15.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $818.24, for a total transaction of $818,240.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,840 shares in the company, valued at $4,778,521.60. This represents a 14.62 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 11.9% during the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 6,794 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,245,000 after purchasing an additional 724 shares in the last quarter. Centerpoint Advisory Group acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $514,000. M&T Bank Corp lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.7% during the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 266,822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $236,389,000 after buying an additional 1,867 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $834,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 30.2% during the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,739 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,202,000 after buying an additional 1,562 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.