Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Takes $159.99 Million Position in Eli Lilly and Company $LLY

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 130,079 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $159,988,000. Eli Lilly and Company makes up about 0.5% of Rakuten Investment Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 22.0% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 9,597 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,409,000 after purchasing an additional 1,730 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,471 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,136,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 16.7% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 7,993 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,231,000 after acquiring an additional 1,141 shares during the last quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at about $356,000. Finally, Nebula Research & Development LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 2nd quarter worth about $749,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LLY has been the subject of several research reports. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,500.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,251.00 to $1,334.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,350.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Guggenheim upped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,235.00 to $1,273.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Leerink Partners boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,119.00 to $1,232.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,292.18.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,175.10, for a total transaction of $7,638,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 54,147 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $63,628,139.70. This represents a 10.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 dated 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 sale, 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 13,500 shares of company stock worth $15,958,170 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE LLY opened at $1,159.53 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.09 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $712.05 and a 12 month high of $1,292.65. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $1,191.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,067.41.

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

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

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

More Eli Lilly and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA expands Mounjaro’s opportunity: The FDA approved Mounjaro (tirzepatide) to reduce cardiovascular risk in high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes, potentially broadening the drug’s eligible market and strengthening its value proposition in discussions with insurers. Mounjaro FDA approval
• Positive Sentiment: Durable Zepbound clinical data: One-year Phase 3b results showed that combining Zepbound with Taltz produced sustained or improved outcomes for adults with obesity and psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. The results support additional immunometabolic applications for Zepbound and reinforce Lilly’s leadership in GLP-1 medicines. Zepbound and Taltz Phase 3b data
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline diversification through Merida: Lilly agreed to acquire Merida Biosciences for up to $2.875 billion in cash. Merida’s antibody-engineering platform and lead Phase 1 candidate, MER511, target Graves’ disease and thyroid eye disease, with additional potential in food allergy and other immune-related conditions. The deal could help Lilly use GLP-1-generated cash flow to build growth beyond obesity and diabetes. Merida Biosciences acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: Acquisition risk remains limited but tangible: Merida’s lead asset is still in Phase 1, so the deal’s value depends on future clinical success and milestone payments. Lilly plans to close the transaction in the fourth quarter of 2026. Merida deal Phase 1 risks
• Neutral Sentiment: Lilly will participate in the Morgan Stanley Global Healthcare Conference on September 14, which could provide updates on its pipeline, GLP-1 demand and acquisition strategy. Morgan Stanley healthcare conference
• Negative Sentiment: 2027 payer concerns remain an overhang: Reports indicate some employers and insurers may reduce GLP-1 coverage, potentially affecting future Zepbound pricing and demand. The new Mounjaro cardiovascular indication may help Lilly defend coverage for certain diabetes patients, but it does not eliminate broader reimbursement risk. GLP-1 insurance coverage concerns

About Eli Lilly and Company

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.