Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Stock Price Down 1.2% – Time to Sell?

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)’s share price dropped 1.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $967.10 and last traded at $974.8210. Approximately 3,346,273 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 4% from the average daily volume of 3,208,447 shares. The stock had previously closed at $987.05.

Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

Here are the key news stories impacting Eli Lilly and Company this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rothschild & Co Redburn raised its price target on Eli Lilly to $900 from $880, signaling continued confidence in the company’s long-term value despite the target still sitting below the recent share price. MarketScreener
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple reports highlighted strong demand for Lilly’s GLP-1 medicines, including Mounjaro, with first-quarter sales described as a major driver of revenue growth and a key reason investors remain optimistic about future earnings. Motley Fool
• Positive Sentiment: Reuters reported that early weight-loss pill data is boosting Lilly and Novo Nordisk by raising hopes the market could expand beyond injections to millions more patients, which could support a larger long-term revenue opportunity. Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly announced an additional $4.5 billion investment in Indiana manufacturing sites, reinforcing confidence in its ability to meet future demand for weight-loss and other therapies while expanding U.S. production capacity. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Several commentary pieces continued to frame Lilly as a high-quality growth stock, but these were largely reiterations of the bullish long-term thesis rather than fresh catalysts. Zacks
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles about shareholder support for the board and broader analyst upgrades suggest stable governance and sentiment, but they do not appear to be major standalone trading catalysts. TipRanks
• Negative Sentiment: One article noted that Eli Lilly’s valuation remains rich and that some investors see more upside in competitors, which can limit enthusiasm even when fundamentals are strong. Motley Fool

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LLY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Daiwa Securities Group upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,230.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Monday. Leerink Partners lowered their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,296.00 to $1,058.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 27th. CICC Research upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,060.00 to $1,107.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,325.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Monday, May 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,218.33.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $943.90 and its 200 day moving average is $990.90. The stock has a market cap of $892.78 billion, a PE ratio of 33.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.50.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $8.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.97 by $1.58. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 34.98% and a return on equity of 105.77%. The firm had revenue of $19.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.34 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company’s revenue for the quarter was up 55.5% on a year-over-year basis. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-37.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 35.68 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $1.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 24.58%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Maryland Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Osbon Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 84.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 35 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Basso Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Finally, 10Elms LLP raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 33.3% during the 3rd quarter. 10Elms LLP now owns 40 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) is a global pharmaceutical company founded in 1876 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes a broad range of medicines and therapies for patients worldwide. Eli Lilly maintains operations and commercial presence across North America, Europe, Asia and other regions, serving both developed and emerging markets. The company has been led in recent years by President and Chief Executive Officer David A.