Leerink Partnrs Has Positive Outlook for LLY Q1 Earnings

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) – Research analysts at Leerink Partnrs lifted their Q1 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Eli Lilly and Company in a note issued to investors on Thursday, March 20th. Leerink Partnrs analyst D. Risinger now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $4.40 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $4.20. The consensus estimate for Eli Lilly and Company’s current full-year earnings is $23.48 per share. Leerink Partnrs also issued estimates for Eli Lilly and Company’s Q2 2025 earnings at $5.67 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $6.25 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $7.15 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $44.99 EPS and FY2029 earnings at $50.07 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on LLY. Morgan Stanley set a $1,146.00 price objective on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $970.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of 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 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Leerink Partners set a $950.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,009.72.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

LLY stock opened at $852.35 on Monday. 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 firm has a market cap of $808.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.79, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $839.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $837.61. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $711.40 and a 12-month high of $972.53.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.45 by ($0.13). Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 85.24% and a net margin of 23.51%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its stake in 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 worth $5,245,000 after purchasing an additional 724 shares during the period. Centerpoint Advisory Group purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the fourth quarter worth about $514,000. M&T Bank Corp boosted its position 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. Kentucky Trust Co purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $834,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 30.2% during the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,739 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,202,000 after acquiring an additional 1,562 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Eli Lilly and Company

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

Eli Lilly and Company announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Monday, December 9th that allows the company to buyback $15.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.