Whipplewood Advisors LLC Takes $272,000 Position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $272,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 11.9% during the fourth quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 6,794 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,245,000 after acquiring an additional 724 shares in the last quarter. Centerpoint Advisory Group bought a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $514,000. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 266,822 shares of the company’s stock worth $236,389,000 after acquiring an additional 1,867 shares during the period. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $834,000. Finally, Cooper Financial Group increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 35.5% during the fourth quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 2,655 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,050,000 after purchasing an additional 695 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LLY opened at $915.47 on Thursday. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $711.40 and a 52 week high of $972.53. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $808.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $848.46. The company has a market cap of $868.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 78.18, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last issued its 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 net margin of 23.51% and a return on equity of 85.24%. Research analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 14th will be issued a $1.50 dividend. 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 yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.24%.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LLY has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,000.00 target price for the company. Leerink Partners set a $950.00 target price on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup dropped their target price 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. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $970.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,000.28.

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.