Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Buys Shares of 71,123 Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor bought 71,123 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $54,907,000. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for approximately 1.4% of Generali Asset Management SPA SGR’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest position.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 11.9% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Centerpoint Advisory Group bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $514,000. M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake 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 in the last quarter. Kentucky Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth about $834,000. Finally, Cooper Financial Group boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 35.5% during the 4th quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 2,655 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,050,000 after acquiring an additional 695 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of LLY stock opened at $825.48 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $832.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $841.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $711.40 and a 12 month high of $972.53. The company has a market capitalization of $782.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 70.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.34.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $5.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 EPS for the current year.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on LLY. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $997.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. StockNews.com upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,029.00 to $1,038.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Citigroup decreased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Leerink Partners set a $950.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note 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, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,009.72.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $818.24, for a total transaction of $818,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,840 shares in the company, valued at $4,778,521.60. This trade represents a 14.62 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 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.