Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Shares Sold by GQG Partners LLC

GQG Partners LLC reduced its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 5.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,534,964 shares of the company’s stock after selling 275,876 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company makes up 5.2% of GQG Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. GQG Partners LLC’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $3,500,992,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted 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 worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 117.1% during the third quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 46,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 24,879 shares during the period. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 358.3% during the fourth quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 55 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, Fiduciary Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 3.4 %

LLY opened at $865.94 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $837.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $837.97. Eli Lilly and Company has a fifty-two week low of $711.40 and a fifty-two week high of $972.53. The company has a market cap of $821.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 73.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on LLY shares. StockNews.com raised Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley set a $1,146.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,029.00 to $1,038.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Berenberg Bank set a $970.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $997.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,009.72.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $818.24, for a total value of $818,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,840 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,778,521.60. This represents a 14.62 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

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.