Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) Shares Sold by Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel

Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel reduced its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 2.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 3,576 shares of the company’s stock after selling 95 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company comprises approximately 2.3% of Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $2,761,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LLY. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew 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 valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 24,879 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Compass Financial Services Inc bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter valued at $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 3.1 %

NYSE LLY opened at $844.82 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $794.44 and a 200-day moving average of $844.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $802.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 72.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.42. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $711.40 and a 52 week high of $972.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.27.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.45 by ($0.13). Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 23.51% and a return on equity of 86.26%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.33 EPS for the current year.

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

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 paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This is a boost from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.71%. Eli Lilly and Company’s payout ratio is 44.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on LLY. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,190.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on shares of 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. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $970.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Wolfe Research started 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 objective for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $997.50.

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.