Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is Bahl & Gaynor Inc.’s 4th Largest Position

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. decreased its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 851,890 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,708 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for about 3.5% of Bahl & Gaynor Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. owned about 0.09% of Eli Lilly and Company worth $657,659,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of LLY. Garner Asset Management Corp boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Garner Asset Management Corp now owns 532 shares of the company’s stock worth $411,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Shoker Investment Counsel Inc. raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Shoker Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 679 shares of the company’s stock worth $602,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors boosted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors now owns 767 shares of the company’s stock worth $680,000 after buying an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Altrius Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Altrius Capital Management Inc now owns 1,285 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,138,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GSG Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. GSG Advisors LLC now owns 425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $328,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on LLY. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $997.00 price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Redburn Atlantic raised Eli Lilly and Company to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Leerink Partners set a $950.00 price target on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $1,015.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $970.00 price objective on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,000.28.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

LLY stock opened at $930.22 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $817.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $848.11. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $711.40 and a 52-week high of $972.53. The company has a market capitalization of $882.01 billion, a PE ratio of 79.44, a P/E/G 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 quarterly 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 return on equity of 85.24% and a net margin of 23.51%. Analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a $1.50 dividend. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.65%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This is a positive change from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 51.24%.

Eli Lilly and Company 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.