Van ECK Associates Corp Trims Stock Holdings in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Van ECK Associates Corp lowered its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 21.4% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 344,960 shares of the company’s stock after selling 94,052 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $413,755,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 67,540,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $81,009,981,000 after acquiring an additional 1,046,558 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,361,916 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,002,744,000 after purchasing an additional 635,358 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 15,593,019 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,757,510,000 after purchasing an additional 407,166 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 15,031,750 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,154,619,000 after purchasing an additional 61,851 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 14,910,505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,024,022,000 after purchasing an additional 1,432,069 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 0.1%

LLY opened at $1,160.98 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $1,192.90 and a 200 day moving average of $1,069.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $712.05 and a 12 month high of $1,292.65. The firm has a market cap of $1.09 trillion, a P/E ratio of 38.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.50.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $8.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.40 by $1.98. The business had revenue of $22.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.82 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 33.53% and a return on equity of 97.83%. The business’s revenue was up 47.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $6.31 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-36.500 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 36.35 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $1.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.22%.

Eli Lilly and Company News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merida acquisition broadens Lilly beyond GLP-1 drugs. Lilly agreed to acquire Merida Biosciences for up to $2.875 billion, adding a platform designed to selectively degrade disease-causing autoantibodies while preserving normal immune function. The deal provides an early-stage pipeline in autoimmune and allergy diseases and represents Lilly’s 10th transaction of 2026, reinforcing management’s effort to diversify its growth drivers. What Does Eli Lilly Gain From Its $2.88 Billion Immunology Deal?
• Positive Sentiment: Clinical and business-development momentum remains favorable. Lilly highlighted its Phase 1 inflammation candidate LY5625575, while its Centessa subsidiary reached a late-stage development milestone for an orexin receptor 2 agonist program. The milestone triggers an $8.6 million payment to partner Nxera Pharma and signals continued progress in Lilly’s broader pipeline. Eli Lilly’s New Phase 1 Inflammation Drug LY5625575 Enters the Spotlight
• Positive Sentiment: Mounjaro expansion into Africa creates a long-term opportunity. Lilly’s partnership with Aspen Pharmacare is initially expected to represent only about 1.25% of quarterly sales, but the launch could establish distribution and market access for Mounjaro across additional African markets. The near-term revenue contribution is small, while the strategic expansion potential is larger. Lilly’s African Mounjaro Push Starts at 1.25% of Quarterly Sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and execution remain key considerations. Recent coverage points to sustained GLP-1 momentum and Lilly’s strong latest quarter, but the stock trades at a premium valuation. The Merida deal and several early-stage programs could create future growth, although they will require successful clinical development and commercialization.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LLY has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,370.00 to $1,376.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,280.00 to $1,330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,350.00 to $1,410.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,300.00 to $1,400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,292.18.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other Eli Lilly and Company news, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,175.10, for a total transaction of $7,638,150.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 54,147 shares in the company, valued at approximately $63,628,139.70. The trade was a 10.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,185.01, for a total transaction of $2,370,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 1,526 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,808,325.26. This trade represents a 56.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 13,500 shares of company stock worth $15,958,170 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

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.