Leelyn Smith LLC Has $6.02 Million Stock Position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Leelyn Smith LLC cut its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 5.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 7,796 shares of the company’s stock after selling 436 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for 1.1% of Leelyn Smith LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Leelyn Smith LLC’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $6,018,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of LLY. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 11.9% in the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 6,794 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,245,000 after buying an additional 724 shares during the period. Centerpoint Advisory Group bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter worth approximately $514,000. M&T Bank Corp grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.7% in the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 266,822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $236,389,000 after acquiring an additional 1,867 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $834,000. Finally, Cooper Financial Group raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 35.5% during the fourth quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 2,655 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,050,000 after purchasing an additional 695 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 1.5 %

Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $825.48 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. The company has a market capitalization of $782.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 70.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $832.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $841.68. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $711.40 and a twelve month high of $972.53.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 earnings per share (EPS) 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 predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

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

Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company

In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $818.24, for a total value of $818,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,840 shares in the company, valued at $4,778,521.60. This trade represents a 14.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LLY has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $1,146.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Berenberg Bank set a $970.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Leerink Partners set a $950.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,029.00 to $1,038.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,009.72.

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.