Mason & Associates Inc Cuts Holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Mason & Associates Inc lessened its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 907 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15 shares during the period. Mason & Associates Inc’s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $700,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 80.0% during 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 period. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 53.3% during the third quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 46 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the period. Finally, West Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $58,000. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 1.6 %

NYSE:LLY opened at $758.70 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.27. The company has a market capitalization of $720.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 82.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.41. Eli Lilly and Company has a one year low of $612.70 and a one year high of $972.53. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $784.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $856.70.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last issued its 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 return on equity of 71.08% and a net margin of 20.48%. The firm had revenue of $11.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.09 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.10 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company’s revenue was up 20.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.50 per share. This is a positive change from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.79%. Eli Lilly and Company’s payout ratio is presently 56.22%.

Eli Lilly and Company declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Monday, December 9th that authorizes the company to buyback $15.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on LLY shares. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,000.00 price target for the company. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $997.00 target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,033.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,100.00 price target for the company. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,025.00 to $975.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,002.22.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $803.38, for a total transaction of $723,042.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,402,522.40. This represents a 14.11 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.