Souders Financial Advisors Lowers Stock Holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Souders Financial Advisors lessened its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,968 shares of the company’s stock after selling 219 shares during the period. Souders Financial Advisors’ holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $2,291,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Intact Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 27.7% in the third quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,580 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,286,000 after acquiring an additional 560 shares in the last quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. now owns 4,369 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,871,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the period. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 1,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,293,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 22.0% during the third quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC now owns 6,540 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,794,000 after purchasing an additional 1,178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSM Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 12.9% during the third quarter. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,246,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

LLY opened at $910.92 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $711.40 and a 12-month high of $972.53. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $819.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $848.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $863.70 billion, a PE ratio of 77.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.42.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted 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 net margin of 23.51% and a return on equity of 85.24%. On average, analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 is a boost from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.24%.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Monday, December 9th that permits the company to buyback $15.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and set a $997.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. StockNews.com raised Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price for the company. Leerink Partners set a $950.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective 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. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,000.28.

Eli Lilly and Company 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.