Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on LLY. CICC Research raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,060.00 to $1,107.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $1,350.00 target price for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,200.00 to $1,280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Guggenheim cut their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,168.00 to $1,163.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,222.22.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

Shares of LLY opened at $935.85 on Monday. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $623.78 and a 12-month high of $1,133.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. The company has a market cap of $884.21 billion, a PE ratio of 40.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.51. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $993.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $970.86.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.48 by $0.06. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 31.66% and a return on equity of 102.94%. The company had revenue of $19.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.32 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company’s revenue for the quarter was up 42.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 81,965,974 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,087,193,000 after acquiring an additional 1,006,885 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 35,361,916 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,002,744,000 after acquiring an additional 635,358 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 25,088,371 shares of the company’s stock worth $19,141,787,000 after acquiring an additional 4,332,008 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 15,593,019 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,757,510,000 after purchasing an additional 407,166 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 15,031,750 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,154,619,000 after purchasing an additional 61,851 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

More Eli Lilly and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approves Foundayo (orforglipron), the first once‑daily oral GLP‑1 for chronic weight management with no food/water restrictions — a commercial launch (April 6) and analyst forecasts point to multi‑billion dollar sales potential that is boosting investor sentiment. Eli Lilly (LLY) Receives FDA Approval for Foundayo Weight Management Pill
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and other brokers reiterate buy/raise views and price targets after the approval, calling Foundayo a preferred oral GLP‑1 and lifting upside expectations for LLY. Bank of America sees Eli Lilly’s Foundayo as preferred oral GLP-1
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street models expect a strong commercial debut (analyst revenue scenarios in the billions for 2026), supporting upside to near‑term sales and valuation. Wall Street sees multi-billion dollar debut for Lilly’s obesity pill
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly’s announced acquisition of Centessa (~$7.8B) diversifies the pipeline into neuroscience and is viewed as strategic for long‑term growth beyond metabolic franchises. Eli Lilly to Acquire Centessa Pharmaceuticals
• Neutral Sentiment: Quiet Phase‑1 readout (LY4060874) — no major surprises reported, so limited immediate stock impact but keeps focus on pipeline cadence. LY4060874 Phase 1 Readout
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options activity noted — signals elevated investor/speculator interest around the approval and upcoming launch, but direction uncertain. Eli Lilly Target of Unusually High Options Trading
• Negative Sentiment: Rival Novo Nordisk released cross‑trial comparisons claiming Wegovy’s oral pill produces greater weight loss and fewer adverse events than Foundayo — intensifies competitive risk and could pressure uptake/pricing. Novo Nordisk Wegovy Data Challenges Foundayo
• Negative Sentiment: Broader competitive pressures in weight‑loss drugs — including Novo price cuts/generics in markets like India — highlight margin and pricing risk across the GLP‑1 category. Novo Nordisk price cuts in India
• Negative Sentiment: Policy and macro risk: proposed US tariffs on branded drugs and recent geopolitical tensions have weighed on pharma stocks, capping LLY’s upside despite product news. Trump Administration Unveils Up to 100% Tariff on Branded Drugs LLY Stock Slips As Geopolitical Tensions Weigh

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.