World Investment Advisors LLC Significantly Boosts Stake in Eli Lilly and Company

World Investment Advisors LLC has dramatically increased its investment in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY - Free Report) by an impressive 1,566.8% during the third quarter. According to the latest 13F filing submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the fund now owns 217,966 shares of Eli Lilly, having purchased an additional 204,889 shares throughout the quarter. This investment represents roughly 1.1% of World Investment Advisors LLC's total portfolio, making Eli Lilly the firm’s 13th largest position. The total value of their holdings in Eli Lilly is estimated to be $193,105,000 at the close of the most recent reporting period.

In addition to World Investment Advisors, various large investors have also modified their stakes in Eli Lilly. For instance, International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position by a staggering 87,091.7% during the same quarter. Following this move, they now own 12,463,182 shares valued at approximately $11,041,631,000 after acquiring an additional 12,448,888 shares. UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position by 2.6% in the third quarter, bringing its total to 6,115,504 shares worth about $5,417,970,000 after adding 157,741 shares. Similarly, Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake by 3.5%, now holding 5,058,101 shares valued at $4,481,175,000 after acquiring 169,391 additional shares.

Other notable investors include Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, which increased its position by 5.0% to 3,581,075 shares worth $3,242,296,000, and Ameriprise Financial Inc., which grew its stake by 0.7% to own 3,027,901 shares valued at approximately $2,741,832,000. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds own around 82.53% of Eli Lilly's stock.

Recent Changes in Analyst Ratings

Several equities research analysts have recently updated their ratings for Eli Lilly shares. Truist Financial raised its price target from $1,000.00 to $1,033.00 and reaffirmed a "buy" rating on October 10th. Citigroup increased its price target from $1,060.00 to $1,250.00, also giving a "buy" rating on October 25th. Moreover, Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Eli Lilly with an "outperform" rating and set a target price of $1,100.00. Redburn Atlantic upgraded Eli Lilly to a "hold" rating on November 4th. Lastly, Wells Fargo & Company boosted the price objective from $875.00 to $1,000.00, rating the stock as "overweight" as of August 9th. Overall, four analysts have rated the stock as "hold," while seventeen have provided "buy" ratings, resulting in a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target price of $1,007.94, according to MarketBeat.com.

Eli Lilly's Stock Performance Overview

As of the latest trading session, Eli Lilly's shares opened at $826.66. Over the past year, the stock has seen a low of $561.65 and a high of $972.53. The company's 50-day simple moving average stands at $843.71, while the 200-day simple moving average is $870.75. Key financial ratios for Eli Lilly include a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 1.27, and a quick ratio of 0.97. The company's market capitalization is estimated to be $784.76 billion, with a P/E ratio of 89.37 and a price-to-earnings growth ratio of 3.14; the stock carries a beta of 0.41.

Latest Earnings Report from Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly released its quarterly earnings data on October 30th, reporting earnings of $1.18 per share, which fell short of the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.34. The company's return on equity stands at an impressive 71.08%, with a net margin of 20.48%. Eli Lilly's revenue for the quarter was $11.44 billion, again missing analysts' expectations of $12.09 billion, although this marked a 20.4% increase compared to the same quarter last year, during which the firm posted $0.10 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Eli Lilly will post an EPS of 13.21 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Announcement from Eli Lilly

The company has recently announced a quarterly dividend payment, scheduled for December 10th. Shareholders on record as of November 15th will receive a dividend of $1.30. This indicates an annual dividend total of $5.20, which results in a yield of 0.63%. The ex-dividend date is also set for November 15th. Eli Lilly's dividend payout ratio is currently 56.22%, showcasing the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Insider Transactions

In other developments, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 900 shares of the company's stock on November 8th, at an average price of $803.38, amounting to a total value of $723,042.00. After this sale, Zakrowski now holds 5,480 shares valued at approximately $4,402,522.40, which reflects a 14.11% decrease in ownership. This transaction was reported in a filing with the SEC.

Company Overview of Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly and Company is a global leader in discovering, developing, and marketing pharmaceutical products aimed at improving human health. The company specializes in various medications, including diabetes treatments such as Basaglar, Humalog, and Trulicity, along with medications for obesity.

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