West Financial Advisors LLC Sells 19 Shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

West Financial Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 29.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 46 shares of the company’s stock after selling 19 shares during the quarter. West Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $36,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Smith Thornton Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 73.0% during the 4th quarter. Smith Thornton Advisors LLC now owns 794 shares of the company’s stock worth $613,000 after buying an additional 335 shares during the period. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 108.6% during the fourth quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 290 shares of the company’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 12.7% in the fourth quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 345 shares of the company’s stock worth $266,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. ERn Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. ERn Financial LLC now owns 1,526 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,178,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BluePath Capital Management LLC increased its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 171.9% during the 4th quarter. BluePath Capital Management LLC now owns 1,580 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,260,000 after purchasing an additional 999 shares during the period. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LLY opened at $758.70 on Friday. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $612.70 and a 1-year high of $972.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The stock has a market cap of $720.25 billion, a PE ratio of 82.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.41. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $784.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $856.70.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.52 by ($0.34). Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 71.08% and a net margin of 20.48%. The firm had revenue of $11.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 13.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders 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 yield of 0.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio is 56.22%.

Eli Lilly and Company declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, December 9th that allows the company to buyback $15.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on LLY shares. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. StockNews.com raised shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 1st. 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. Citigroup upped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,060.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $997.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,002.22.

Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $803.38, for a total value of $723,042.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,402,522.40. This represents a 14.11 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.