Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Shares Purchased by Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 21.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 19,808 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,450 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $15,292,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the third quarter worth $27,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the third quarter worth $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 117.1% in the third quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 46,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 24,879 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FPC Investment Advisory Inc. raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 358.3% in the fourth quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 55 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Berenberg Bank set a $970.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,029.00 to $1,038.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Citigroup dropped 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. Leerink Partners set a $950.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,000.00 price target for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,007.50.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE:LLY opened at $912.73 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $824.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $849.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.97 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. The firm has a market cap of $865.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 77.94, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.42.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last issued its quarterly 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%. On average, research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.66%. This is a positive change from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.24%.

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

About Eli Lilly and Company

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.