2,689 Eli Lilly and Company $LLY Shares Acquired by First Merchants Corp

First Merchants Corp boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 5.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 53,117 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,689 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company makes up about 2.0% of First Merchants Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position. First Merchants Corp’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $61,461,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in LLY. Osbon Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Maseco LLP lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 466.7% during the first quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 34 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 270.0% during the first quarter. Aventus Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 37 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 60.0% during the first quarter. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 40 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 0.5%

LLY stock opened at $1,258.04 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.18 trillion, a PE ratio of 42.22, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.46. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $783.85 and a twelve month high of $1,292.65. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,180.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,107.98.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $8.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.40 by $1.98. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 33.53% and a return on equity of 97.83%. The firm had revenue of $22.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $6.31 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 47.7% on a year-over-year basis. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 35.500-36.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 33.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company

In other Eli Lilly and Company news, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,175.10, for a total value of $7,638,150.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 54,147 shares in the company, valued at $63,628,139.70. This represents a 10.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available 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 firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,185.01, for a total transaction of $2,370,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 1,526 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,808,325.26. The trade was a 56.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 13,500 shares of company stock valued at $15,958,170. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LLY has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,400.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,300.00 to $1,385.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup raised 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 report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,280.00 to $1,330.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,500.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Monday, October 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,313.43.

More Eli Lilly and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: European backing for Foundayo: The European Medicines Agency’s advisory committee issued a positive recommendation for Foundayo (orforglipron), Lilly’s once-daily oral GLP-1 treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Final approval from the European Commission is still required, but the decision supports Lilly’s strategy to expand beyond injectable drugs and could broaden access to the rapidly growing weight-loss market. Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 Pill Wins Key European Backing for Obesity and Diabetes
• Positive Sentiment: Additional obesity drugs could extend growth: Analysts and market commentators highlighted Foundayo, investigational retatrutide and other newer medicines as potential drivers of Lilly’s next growth phase, reducing dependence on Zepbound. Retatrutide remains in development, so its commercial contribution depends on clinical results and future regulatory approval. Forget Zepbound: 3 Newer Drugs That Could Power Eli Lilly’s Next Leg Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline diversification is improving: New Omvoh analyses showed meaningful one-year corticosteroid-free disease control in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, including patients who had failed prior biologics. Lilly also announced oncology research collaborations, adding potential long-term pipeline value beyond its GLP-1 franchise. New Omvoh Composite Outcomes Data
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains a risk: Lilly’s exceptional obesity-driven growth and strong recent performance have pushed investor expectations high. Articles questioned whether future cash-flow growth is sufficient to justify the stock’s premium valuation, increasing the possibility of volatility if results or guidance disappoint. Eli Lilly’s Growth Is Exceptional. Is Its Valuation Asking Too Much?
• Negative Sentiment: Large shareholder sale adds a technical overhang: The Lilly Foundation is selling approximately 300,000 shares valued near $347 million. Reports indicate the transaction is not tied to concerns about Lilly’s business outlook, but a sizable sale can still raise short-term supply and sentiment concerns. Eli Lilly’s Biggest Shareholder Is Selling $347 Million of Stock

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly, the company researches, develops, manufactures and markets medicines for a range of conditions, including diabetes, obesity, cancer, immunological disorders, neurological diseases and pain.

Its products include Mounjaro and Zepbound, which contain tirzepatide and are used for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management, respectively. Other key medicines include Trulicity for diabetes, Verzenio for certain breast cancers, Taltz for inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, Humalog insulin, and Kisunla for early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.