Vantage Investment Partners LLC Buys 943 Shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Vantage Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 5.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 17,321 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 943 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company accounts for 1.2% of Vantage Investment Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Vantage Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $13,372,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% in the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 45 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 53.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 46 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Finally, West Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the third quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.53% of the company’s stock.

Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of LLY opened at $803.01 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $762.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 86.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.41. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $779.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $846.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.27. Eli Lilly and Company has a fifty-two week low of $637.00 and a fifty-two week high of $972.53.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.52 by ($0.34). Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 20.48% and a return on equity of 71.08%. The business had revenue of $11.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 12.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.75%. 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 presently 56.22%.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LLY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. 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 price target on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,033.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $975.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,250.00 to $1,190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $997.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $997.22.

Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $803.38, for a total transaction of $723,042.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,402,522.40. This trade represents a 14.11 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by 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.