Kieckhefer Group LLC Invests $193,000 in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Kieckhefer Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $193,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LLY. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings 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 valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 53.3% in 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, Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 117.1% during the 3rd quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 46,132 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 24,879 shares in the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 1.3 %

NYSE:LLY traded down $10.64 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $789.26. The stock had a trading volume of 1,157,115 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,812,092. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $786.08 and a 200 day moving average of $859.41. The company has a market capitalization of $749.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 85.33, a PEG ratio of 2.99 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.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share (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 business had revenue of $11.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.09 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 13.18 EPS for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 14th. This is a boost from Eli Lilly and Company’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. Eli Lilly and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 64.86%.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays decreased their target price 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. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,100.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial increased their price target on 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. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $997.00 price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Eli Lilly and Company from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,002.22.

Insider Transactions at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $803.38, for a total value of $723,042.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,402,522.40. This trade represents a 14.11 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

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.