Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Trading Down 1.7% Following Analyst Downgrade

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) dropped 1.7% during trading on Monday after Leerink Partners lowered their price target on the stock from $1,296.00 to $1,058.00. Leerink Partners currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Eli Lilly and Company traded as low as $868.04 and last traded at $868.5870. Approximately 2,677,470 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 14% from the average daily volume of 3,115,666 shares. The stock had previously closed at $883.96.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on LLY. Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $930.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,150.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Zacks Research cut shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Berenberg Bank lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $950.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $1,200.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,216.52.

Eli Lilly and Company News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lilly agreed to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion, adding AJ1-11095, a first‑in‑class Type II JAK2 inhibitor for myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera; the deal bolsters Lilly’s blood‑cancer pipeline and comes with Phase 1 data milestones later in 2026. Eli Lilly to acquire Ajax Therapeutics for up to $2.3 billion (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: April marks a continued buying spree for Lilly—this is at least the second oncology acquisition this month—signaling management’s deliberate push to diversify beyond GLP‑1s and build durable oncology revenues. Lilly Bets Again on Blood Cancer With Second Acquisition This Month (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer flagged Lilly as a company that “will tell a good story” heading into earnings despite recent controversy, reflecting that broadcasters and some investors expect management to present positive near‑term messaging. Jim Cramer Says Eli Lilly “Will Tell a Good Story When It Reports” (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and preview pieces highlight that Q1 earnings will be pivotal: GLP‑1 demand, pricing pressure, and Foundayo launch trends are key metrics to watch when Lilly reports. Will These 5 Drug Bigwigs Surpass Q1 Earnings Forecasts? (Zacks)
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader sector M&A (e.g., Organon/Sun Pharma) is keeping investor focus on consolidation in pharma, which can support valuation multiples for active acquirers like Lilly. Organon Rides the Pharma M&A Wave With Sun Takeover (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Prescription data show Lilly’s oral Foundayo trailing Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill at a similar launch stage, raising concerns about market share, launch momentum and near‑term revenue upside for Lilly’s obesity franchise. GLP-1 pill race heats up as Wegovy tablet holds strong against Lilly rival (Proactive)
• Negative Sentiment: Leerink Partners cut its price target on LLY from $1,296 to $1,058 while maintaining an outperform rating, a signal that at least some analysts see more near‑term downside or muted upside versus prior expectations. Leerink Partners adjusts PT on Eli Lilly (MarketScreener)

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 189.6% during the third quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,408 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,283,000 after acquiring an additional 11,396 shares during the period. Rede Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter worth $487,000. Cidel Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 26.5% during the third quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 26,726 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,392,000 after acquiring an additional 5,591 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 27,719 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,789,000 after acquiring an additional 592 shares during the period. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 25.6% during the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 42,418 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,365,000 after acquiring an additional 8,659 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $820.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.85, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.51. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $955.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $985.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $19.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.32 earnings per share. The 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. Equities research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 33.9 earnings per share for the current year.

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.