Plato Investment Management Ltd Has $13.42 Million Position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Plato Investment Management Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 17,315 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 511 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company comprises 1.0% of Plato Investment Management Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. Plato Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $13,416,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in LLY. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 117.1% during the 3rd quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 46,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 24,879 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FPC Investment Advisory Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 358.3% during the 4th quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 55 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 1.7 %

NYSE:LLY opened at $920.44 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $814.88 and its 200-day moving average is $848.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.15. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $711.40 and a 52 week high of $972.53. The firm has a market cap of $872.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 78.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.42.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Equities analysts expect 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 authorizes the company to buyback $15.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.65%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Eli Lilly and Company’s payout ratio is presently 51.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,029.00 to $1,038.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $970.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,000.28.

Eli Lilly and Company Profile

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.