Sciencast Management LP Acquires New Holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Sciencast Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,078 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $832,000.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in LLY. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 117.1% during the third quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 46,132 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 24,879 shares in the last quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. increased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 358.3% during the fourth quarter. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 55 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter worth $50,000. Finally, Fiduciary Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter worth $58,000. 82.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

NYSE:LLY opened at $839.44 on Friday. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $711.40 and a 52 week high of $972.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $795.93 billion, a PE ratio of 71.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $835.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $839.05.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted 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 85.24%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $818.24, for a total value of $818,240.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,840 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,778,521.60. The trade was a 14.62 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LLY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Berenberg Bank set a $970.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price 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. Morgan Stanley set a $1,146.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,029.00 to $1,038.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Three investment 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 stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,009.72.

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.