Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Holdings Boosted by Halter Ferguson Financial Inc.

Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 16.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,801 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 968 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for 2.1% of Halter Ferguson Financial Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Halter Ferguson Financial Inc.’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $5,250,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of LLY. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the third quarter worth $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 117.1% in 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 in the last quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 358.3% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter worth $50,000. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on LLY. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and set a $997.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Leerink Partners set a $950.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup reduced their target price 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. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,029.00 to $1,038.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $970.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,009.72.

Insider Transactions at Eli Lilly and Company

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

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of LLY stock opened at $825.48 on Tuesday. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $711.40 and a 52-week high of $972.53. The stock has a market cap of $782.70 billion, a PE ratio of 70.49, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.15. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $832.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $841.68.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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%. As a group, analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Monday, December 9th that authorizes the company to repurchase $15.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Eli Lilly and 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.