Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,100.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,163.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,286.00 to $1,268.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $1,200.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,155.36.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of LLY opened at $1,079.83 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $1.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.83, a PEG ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.35. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $1,013.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $850.82. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $623.78 and a 1-year high of $1,111.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $7.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.42 by $0.60. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 109.52%. The business had revenue of $17.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.09 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.18 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company’s revenue was up 53.9% on a year-over-year basis. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2025 guidance at 23.000-23.700 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $1.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.35%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 114.3% during the 2nd quarter. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. now owns 77,295 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,253,000 after acquiring an additional 41,222 shares during the period. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 15.3% in the 2nd quarter. Precedent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $229,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 25.8% in the 3rd quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 8,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,859,000 after purchasing an additional 1,843 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK raised its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 6.8% during the second quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK now owns 6,747 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,260,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Family CFO Inc acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter worth $54,000. 82.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded LLY from Hold to Strong Buy, a near-term catalyst that can attract buying from model-driven and income-focused investors. Zacks Research upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Articles pushing a potential “surprise dividend” narrative have resurfaced, boosting investor interest in Lilly as a must-own 2026 idea if management signals shareholder returns. Eli Lilly’s surprise dividend story could be a 2026 must-own
• Positive Sentiment: Investor write-ups (e.g., InsiderMonkey) reiterate Lilly’s strong fundamentals and leadership in GLP-1s, supporting the case for LLY as a core holding. Positive third‑party commentary can sustain buying. What Makes Eli Lilly And Co. (LLY) a Worthy Holding?
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat flagged Lilly’s progress advancing two additional weight‑loss drugs (one nearing approval) — successful trial/approval news would be a major upside catalyst for revenue growth. Eli Lilly’s new drug data sets up a high‑stakes 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market strength at the start of 2026 lifted many large caps, including LLY; macro momentum (vs. company-specific news) is supporting the move. MarketBeat Week in Review – 12/29 – 01/02
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting price cuts for GLP‑1 drugs in China (Novo and reports of LLY pricing moves) highlights regional pricing pressure — this could temper upside but impact is currently uncertain and depends on scale. Spotlight on Health ETFs as NVO & LLY Cut Obesity Drug Price in China
• Negative Sentiment: Two recent commercials have drawn viewer backlash and accusations over messaging; while not yet a material business issue, negative publicity can affect brand perception and invite scrutiny. Company Facing Backlash For ‘Ridiculous’ Rose Bowl Commercial
• Negative Sentiment: Another piece highlights viewer division over an alleged “pro‑obesity” message in a new ad — reputational noise that could weigh on sentiment if amplified. New Eli Lilly commercial divides viewers

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.