Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Shares Acquired by Martin Currie Ltd.

Martin Currie Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 137.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 37,422 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 21,689 shares during the quarter. Martin Currie Ltd.’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $28,890,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of LLY. RWA Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. RWA Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45,191 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,028 shares during the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,686,582 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,302,041,000 after acquiring an additional 5,369 shares during the last quarter. Allianz SE purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,310,000. Valley Forge Investment Consultants Inc. ADV acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $103,000. Finally, Accent Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 168.0% during the 4th quarter. Accent Capital Management LLC now owns 5,886 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,544,000 after purchasing an additional 3,690 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of the business’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 transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,840 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,778,521.60. The trade was a 14.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LLY has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Berenberg Bank set a $970.00 price objective on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley set a $1,146.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $997.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Leerink Partners set a $950.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,009.72.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LLY opened at $820.30 on Friday. 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 has a 1-year low of $711.40 and a 1-year high of $972.53. The company has a market capitalization of $777.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.05, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34. The business has a 50-day moving average of $844.31 and a 200-day moving average of $836.37.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.45 by ($0.13). Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 85.24% and a net margin of 23.51%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Monday, December 9th that allows the company to buyback $15.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

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.