Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Shares Up 1% – Should You Buy?

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)’s share price rose 1% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $765.31 and last traded at $762.05. Approximately 582,318 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 3,375,921 shares. The stock had previously closed at $754.35.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $973.00 to $928.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. StockNews.com raised Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,146.00 to $1,124.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $970.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,012.00.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average is $830.10 and its 200 day moving average is $820.95. 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 $696.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.51.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.45 by ($0.13). Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 85.24% and a net margin of 23.51%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $818.24, for a total value of $818,240.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,840 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,778,521.60. This trade represents a 14.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.14% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Eli Lilly and Company

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LLY. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 11.9% in the fourth quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 6,794 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,245,000 after buying an additional 724 shares during the last quarter. Centerpoint Advisory Group bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $514,000. M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 266,822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $236,389,000 after purchasing an additional 1,867 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth $834,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 30.2% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,739 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,202,000 after purchasing an additional 1,562 shares during 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.