Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Stock Price Up 2.3% Following Analyst Upgrade

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)’s stock price rose 2.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday after Argus raised their price target on the stock from $930.00 to $1,200.00. Argus currently has a buy rating on the stock. Eli Lilly and Company traded as high as $1,059.84 and last traded at $1,038.59. Approximately 3,585,182 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 4% from the average daily volume of 3,455,708 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,015.21.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on LLY. National Bank Financial set a $1,286.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Monday, December 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $985.00 to $1,205.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Guggenheim cut their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,163.00 to $1,161.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Scotiabank restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,300.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,200.00 to $1,280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,218.88.

More Eli Lilly and Company News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Eli Lilly retains a buy rating on a strong 2026 outlook after robust results and guidance, reinforcing investor confidence in revenue growth from GLP-1s and other pipeline drivers. Eli Lilly (LLY) Retains Buy Rating on Strong 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades — including Freedom Capital moving LLY from hold to buy — add near-term demand/support for the stock and reflect bullish sentiment after the company’s recent results. Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) Gets Upgraded to Buy From Hold by Freedom Capital
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly announced a transformational acquisition (Orna Therapeutics) to expand its RNA platform — diversifies the pipeline and signals management is investing to extend long-term growth beyond GLP‑1s. Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) to Acquire Orna Therapeutics in $2.4B Deal to Expand RNA Pipeline
• Positive Sentiment: Local approval for a major manufacturing investment (Huntsville council sign-off) supports capacity expansion for anticipated product demand and signals commitment to scale production. Huntsville City Council approves Eli Lilly agreement to build $6 billion manufacturing plant
• Neutral Sentiment: Lilly has built roughly $1.5B of inventory of its experimental oral weight‑loss pill (orforglipron) ahead of an FDA decision expected in April — signals confidence but raises execution/FDA risk until approval. Eli Lilly builds $1.5 billion stockpile of weight-loss pill ahead of FDA decision
• Neutral Sentiment: Separate reports note Lilly prepared $1B+ in orforglipron stock and larger pre-launch inventories — operationally positive if approved, but costly if rollout is delayed or restricted. Lilly Prepares $1B+ Orforglipron Stock Ahead of Approval as Novo Brings Wegovy Pill Overseas
• Neutral Sentiment: Early-stage clinical readouts (e.g., Brenipatide in schizophrenia) add optional upside to valuation if positive, but remain speculative until later‑stage data. Eli Lilly’s Brenipatide Trial Adds Quiet Optionality in Schizophrenia
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: reports that Novo Nordisk is moving its Wegovy pill/shot strategies (selling overseas and in vials) highlight intensified competition in the obesity market, which could pressure pricing and share. Novo to follow Lilly and sell obesity shot Wegovy in vials

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LLY. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $12,976,634,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 78,621.2% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,552,336 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,005,392,000 after buying an additional 11,537,661 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 20.9% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 25,088,371 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,141,787,000 after buying an additional 4,332,008 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 876.1% in the 4th quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. now owns 2,375,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,552,419,000 after buying an additional 2,131,734 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 80,407,430 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,680,004,000 after acquiring an additional 1,183,038 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 0.2%

The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,052.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $906.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $983.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.39.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.48 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $19.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.85 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 112.50% and a net margin of 31.66%.Eli Lilly and Company’s revenue was up 42.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $5.32 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This is a boost from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. This represents a $6.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Eli Lilly and Company’s payout ratio is presently 30.15%.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

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.