Erste Group Bank Issues Optimistic Forecast for LLY Earnings

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their FY2026 EPS estimates for shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report issued on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $34.40 for the year, up from their previous estimate of $34.34. The consensus estimate for Eli Lilly and Company’s current full-year earnings is $23.48 per share.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on LLY. National Bank Financial set a $1,286.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Monday, December 1st. Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $1,313.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,286.00 to $1,268.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Wolfe Research boosted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,221.44.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $915.71 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.19. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1 year low of $623.78 and a 1 year high of $1,133.95. The company has a market capitalization of $865.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $1,013.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $961.39.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.48 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $19.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.85 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 31.66% and a return on equity of 102.94%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 42.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.32 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter worth about $12,976,634,000. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake 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 worth $19,141,787,000 after buying an additional 4,332,008 shares during the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP grew its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 46,191.3% in the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 4,047,245 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,047,245,000 after buying an additional 4,038,502 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 876.1% during 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 acquiring an additional 2,131,734 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 14,910,505 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,024,022,000 after acquiring an additional 1,432,069 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: Morgan Stanley reiterated an Overweight rating and a $1,313 price target, highlighting Lilly’s new employer access platform for obesity therapies and reinforcing bullish institutional support. Morgan Stanley Reiterates Overweight on Eli Lilly (LLY), Cites Growth Potential of New Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Ongoing GLP‑1 strength is repeatedly cited as the core growth engine — multiple analyst/fund notes point to blockbuster obesity/weight‑management drugs as the main revenue driver. Eli Lilly (LLY) Gained From Growth in its GLP-1 Franchises Drugs
• Positive Sentiment: Distribution expansion: Kroger pharmacies began offering Lilly’s Zepbound weight‑management product with support/savings programs, improving retail access and patient uptake prospects. What Kroger (KR)’s New Zepbound Access and Premium Ice Cream Push Means For Shareholders
• Positive Sentiment: Clinical progress: Lilly completed a pediatric pharmacokinetic (PK) study for a next‑gen diabetes candidate, de‑risking a development path that could broaden the diabetes portfolio. Lilly Advances Next-Gen Diabetes Drug With Completed Pediatric PK Study
• Positive Sentiment: Retail/influencer support: Jim Cramer and other high‑profile commentators continue to include LLY among top healthcare picks, adding retail momentum. Is Eli Lilly (LLY) The Best Healthcare Stock to Buy According to Jim Cramer?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks noted Lilly outpaced the market in the latest session, reflecting the mix of positive headlines but not adding new catalysts. Eli Lilly (LLY) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/peer debate continues — analyses contrasting Lilly vs. Novo Nordisk and AbbVie focus investor attention on whether LLY’s premium multiple already prices in growth. Novo Nordisk Vs. Eli Lilly: Cheap Vs. Expensive, But No Clear Opportunity
• Negative Sentiment: Product rationalization risk: Lilly plans to phase out select insulin products across Europe by 2027 — could lower sales in that region and signals portfolio adjustments that investors should model. Eli Lilly to phase out select insulin products across Europe by 2027
• Negative Sentiment: Heightened public/policy scrutiny around GLP‑1s (societal obligation debate) could lead to reputational or reimbursement pressure even as sales grow. Eli Lilly and the ‘societal obligation’ of GLP-1s

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.