Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Shares Acquired by Czech National Bank

Czech National Bank boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 170,840 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,143 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company comprises approximately 1.2% of Czech National Bank’s portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Czech National Bank’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $131,888,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 11.9% in the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 6,794 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,245,000 after purchasing an additional 724 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.7% in the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 266,822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $236,389,000 after acquiring an additional 1,867 shares during the period. Everence Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc. now owns 22,340 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,246,000 after acquiring an additional 690 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 13.7% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,154,350 shares of the company’s stock valued at $887,014,000 after acquiring an additional 138,835 shares during the period. Finally, Jacobs & Co. CA increased its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 35.2% in the 4th quarter. Jacobs & Co. CA now owns 29,391 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,690,000 after acquiring an additional 7,646 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance

LLY opened at $799.39 on Monday. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $612.70 and a 1-year high of $972.53. The stock has a market cap of $758.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 86.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.41. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $786.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $859.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.52 by ($0.34). The firm had revenue of $11.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.09 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 20.48% and a return on equity of 71.08%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.10 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 13.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Eli Lilly and Company’s payout ratio is currently 64.86%.

Eli Lilly and Company declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Monday, December 9th that authorizes the company to buyback $15.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LLY has been the topic of several research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $885.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Barclays lowered their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $975.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $1,015.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,060.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,000.00 price target for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,002.22.

Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $803.38, for a total transaction of $723,042.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,402,522.40. This trade represents a 14.11 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.