Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Acquires New Shares in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 71,123 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $54,907,000. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for about 1.4% of Generali Asset Management SPA SGR’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in LLY. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% during the 4th quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 117.1% during the 3rd quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 46,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 24,879 shares during the period. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 358.3% during the 4th quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 55 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup reduced their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley set a $1,146.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Leerink Partners set a $950.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $970.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,009.72.

Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $818.24, for a total transaction of $818,240.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,840 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,778,521.60. The trade was a 14.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $825.48 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $832.05 and its 200-day moving average is $841.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $782.70 billion, a PE ratio of 70.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $711.40 and a 12-month high of $972.53.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.45 by ($0.13). Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 85.24% and a net margin of 23.51%. Equities analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Monday, December 9th that allows the company to buyback $15.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Eli Lilly and Company 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.