Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Stock Price Up 2.3% – What’s Next?

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)’s stock price shot up 2.3% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $1,059.84 and last traded at $1,038.59. 3,585,182 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 4% from the average session volume of 3,455,708 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,015.21.

Key Stories Impacting Eli Lilly and Company

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company built a $1.5 billion pre‑launch inventory of its experimental oral weight‑loss pill—investors view this as preparation for strong commercial launch if FDA approves in April, signaling management confidence in demand and near‑term revenue upside. Eli Lilly builds $1.5 billion stockpile of weight-loss pill ahead of FDA decision
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and strong FY2026 guidance underpin the rally—robust GLP‑1 sales (Zepbound) and a raised outlook support higher EPS expectations and justify premium multiples. How to Play Eli Lilly Stock Following a Robust Q4 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and new buy ratings (including TipRanks and Freedom Capital) are lifting sentiment and may prompt more institutional buying. Eli Lilly Stock (LLY) Gets New ‘Buy Rating’ After Strong Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Lilly agreed to acquire Orna Therapeutics for up to $2.4B to expand its RNA platform—adds longer‑term pipeline optionality beyond GLP‑1s and supports growth narrative. Eli Lilly to acquire ‘world’s most innovative biotech startup’ for up to $2.4B
• Positive Sentiment: Large investors are increasing positions (Fisher Asset Management added shares), which supports conviction among institutional holders. Fisher Asset Management Boosts Eli Lilly Stake by 153K Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlight LLY as a top biotech exposure into AI‑assisted drug discovery and long‑term forecasts out to 2030—useful for thematic investors but less likely to move near‑term price. 2 Biotech Stocks to Buy as AI Drug Discovery Lifts Off
• Neutral Sentiment: Market write‑ups and price‑target forecasts (24/7 Wall St., Motley Fool) reinforce the bull case but are background context rather than immediate catalysts. Eli Lilly Stock Price Prediction and Forecast 2026-2030
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive dynamics: reports that Novo Nordisk plans to copy Lilly’s vial packaging approach for GLP‑1s (Wegovy in vials) could reduce a distribution/price advantage for Lilly’s injectables and signal intensifying competition. Novo to follow Lilly and sell obesity shot Wegovy in vials
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk remains binary—if the FDA delays or denies approval of the oral weight‑loss pill in April, the large pre‑launch inventory could lead to write‑downs and a rapid sentiment reversal. Eli Lilly builds $1.5 billion stockpile of weight-loss pill ahead of FDA decision

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Leerink Partners increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,234.00 to $1,296.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $976.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. National Bank Financial set a $1,286.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Truist Financial set a $1,281.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,217.71.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. The firm has a market cap of $981.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.25, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1,051.24 and a 200-day moving average of $903.76.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last issued its 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. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 31.66% and a return on equity of 112.50%. The company had revenue of $19.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.32 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 42.6% on a year-over-year basis. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS. Research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $1.73 dividend. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.14%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 114.3% in the 2nd quarter. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. now owns 77,295 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,253,000 after purchasing an additional 41,222 shares in the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $13,283,000 after acquiring an additional 11,396 shares in the last quarter. Rede Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the third quarter worth about $487,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 25.8% during the third quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 8,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,859,000 after purchasing an additional 1,843 shares during the period. Finally, Oak Family Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter worth about $1,979,000. 82.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.