Stephens Inc. AR Cuts Stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Stephens Inc. AR lessened its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 29.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 35,288 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,715 shares during the quarter. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $27,243,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. now owns 2,105 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,865,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Prio Wealth Limited Partnership raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.5% during the third quarter. Prio Wealth Limited Partnership now owns 2,411 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,136,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Hummer Financial Advisory Services Inc lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.0% during the third quarter. Hummer Financial Advisory Services Inc now owns 1,271 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,126,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. James Hambro & Partners LLP grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. James Hambro & Partners LLP now owns 340 shares of the company’s stock worth $301,000 after buying an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Inscription Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Inscription Capital LLC now owns 1,222 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,083,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE LLY opened at $868.57 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The business’s 50 day moving average is $789.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $843.19. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $711.40 and a 52-week high of $972.53. The firm has a market cap of $824.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 74.17, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.42.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 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 86.26%. Research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.33 EPS for the current year.

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

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. This is a positive change from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $1,015.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $970.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and issued a $997.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,190.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $975.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $997.50.

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.