Boasting a market cap of $1 trillion, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) is a major global research-based pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad portfolio of prescription medicines. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Lilly’s product lineup comprises leading treatments such as Mounjaro and Zepbound for type 2 diabetes and weight management, Trulicity and Jardiance for diabetes, Verzenio for cancer, Taltz for autoimmune conditions, and established insulin therapies like Humalog and Humulin.
The leading drug manufacturer plans to release its Q4 earnings shortly. Ahead of the event, analysts expect Eli Lilly to report a profit of $7.47 per share, up 40.4% from $5.32 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has exceeded Wall Street’s EPS estimates in three of the last four quarters, while missing on another occasion.
Moving forward, analysts expect Eli Lilly to report an EPS of $23.95 in fiscal 2025, up 84.4% from $12.99 in fiscal year 2024. Its fiscal 2026 EPS is projected to rise 40.3% annually to $33.59.
LLY’s stock has surged 35.1% over the past 52 weeks, outperforming the broader S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 19.7% gains and the S&P 500 Healthcare Sector SPDR’s (XLV) 12.7% returns over the same time frame.
Shares of Eli Lilly rose 3.3% on Jan. 7 after the company announced a strategic partnership with Nimbus Therapeutics to develop an oral obesity treatment, and reports emerged that it was in advanced talks to acquire Ventyx Biosciences for more than $1 billion. The Nimbus collaboration, which includes a $55 million upfront payment and up to $1.3 billion in milestone-based payments, is aimed at expanding Lilly’s obesity pipeline beyond injectables, while the potential Ventyx acquisition would further deepen its drug portfolio, together reinforcing investor confidence in Lilly’s long-term strategy to strengthen its leadership in the weight-loss therapeutics market.
The current consensus opinion on Eli Lilly stock is “Strong Buy” overall. Among the 27 analysts covering the stock, 22 recommend a "Strong Buy," two suggest a "Moderate Buy," and three analysts advise a "Hold." Furthermore, the average analyst price target for Eli Lilly is $1,161.76, indicating a potential upside of 7.5% from the current price levels.
On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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