HSBC Downgrades Eli Lilly to Reduce Amid Concerns
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy LLY?
Source: seekingalpha
- Rating Downgrade Impact: HSBC downgraded Eli Lilly (LLY) from Hold to Reduce, marking the only sell-equivalent rating on Wall Street, which led to a premarket decline in the company's shares, reflecting market concerns about its future performance.
- Price Target Adjustment: Analyst Rajesh Kumar slashed the price target for Lilly from $1,070 to $850, indicating that the stock is 'priced to perfection' and expressing worries about the total addressable market (TAM) for obesity therapies, which could undermine investor confidence.
- Market Competition Risks: As rival Novo Nordisk (NVO) seeks to regain market share and engage in price competition, Lilly faces uncertainty regarding its oral obesity therapy orforglipron's FDA approval, potentially resulting in a smaller market share that could impact future revenues.
- Revenue Forecast Uncertainty: While current market forecasts suggest $1.5 billion in revenue for Lilly's oral obesity segment this year, the analyst warns that if patient compliance and persistence align with typical oral medications, the company may fall short of expectations, further increasing market uncertainty.
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Analyst Views on LLY
Wall Street analysts forecast LLY stock price to rise
20 Analyst Rating
18 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 989.120
Low
950.00
Averages
1192
High
1500
Current: 989.120
Low
950.00
Averages
1192
High
1500
About LLY
Eli Lilly and Company is a medicine company, which discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells pharmaceutical products worldwide. Its cardiometabolic health products include Basaglar; Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, and others; Humulin, Humulin 70/30, and others; Jardiance; Mounjaro; Trulicity; Zepbound; VERVE-102; VERVE-201, and VERVE-301. Its oncology products include Cyramza, Erbitux, Tyvyt, and Verzenio. Its immunology products include Ebglyss, Olumiant, Omvoh, and Taltz. Its neuroscience products include Emgality and Kisunla. The Company is also engaged in radiopharmaceutical discovery, development, and manufacturing efforts, and clinical and pre-clinical radioligand therapies in development for the treatment of cancer. It is also developing an oral small molecule inhibitor of a4b7 integrin for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is evaluating its novel gene therapy candidate, ixoberogene soroparvovec.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- GLP-1 Drug Growth: Eli Lilly's GLP-1 treatments, Zepbound and Mounjaro, are in high demand, significantly boosting revenue and expected to maintain strong growth, solidifying its leadership in the global healthcare market.
- Valuation Pressure: With a market cap around $900 billion and trading at over 40 times trailing earnings, Eli Lilly's high valuation may hinder investors' ability to achieve strong returns in the future, necessitating careful risk assessment.
- New Product Launch: The company plans to launch a GLP-1 weight loss pill this year, which could add a fast-growing product to its portfolio, enhancing market competitiveness and attracting more investor interest.
- Increasing Competition: While Eli Lilly currently dominates the GLP-1 space, it may face increased competition in the future, with other healthcare companies potentially eroding its market share, making investments at such high valuations risky.
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- CEO Change Impact: Novo Nordisk has undergone a CEO change, resulting in a nearly 50% drop in stock price and a reduction in annual guidance, reflecting increased uncertainty in the company's outlook amid rising competition in the GLP-1 drug market.
- Drug Development Progress: The company's triple agonist drug UBT251, developed in collaboration with The United Laboratories International Holdings Limited, demonstrated impressive results in a phase 2 trial, achieving an average weight loss of 19.7% after 24 weeks, providing renewed hope for growth potential in the GLP-1 space.
- Competitive Pressure: While rival Eli Lilly's triple agonist drug achieved a 28.7% weight loss over 68 weeks, if Novo Nordisk can maintain UBT251's efficacy over a longer duration, it could restore investor confidence in its growth prospects.
- Valuation Appeal: Despite facing numerous challenges, Novo Nordisk's price-to-earnings ratio stands at just 11 times, significantly lower than the S&P 500 average of 24, indicating that the current stock price may represent an attractive buying opportunity for long-term investors.
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- Drug Development Progress: Novo Nordisk's collaboration with a Chinese company on the triple agonist drug UBT251 has shown an average weight loss of 19.7% over a 24-week trial, indicating significant potential for future growth.
- Market Competition Pressure: Despite facing intense competition in the GLP-1 drug market, particularly from Eli Lilly's retatrutide which achieved 28.7% weight loss over 68 weeks, UBT251's short-term results may attract renewed investor interest in the company's growth prospects.
- Stock Price Volatility Context: Novo Nordisk's stock has halved in value over the past year due to CEO changes and lowered annual guidance, leading to bearish market sentiment; however, the company maintains a strong product portfolio and profitability, suggesting a potential rebound.
- Investment Value Assessment: With a current P/E ratio of just 11, significantly below the S&P 500 average of 24, long-term investors may find Novo Nordisk an attractive investment opportunity, even as analysts remain cautious about its outlook.
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- Rating Downgrade Impact: HSBC downgraded Eli Lilly (LLY) from Hold to Reduce, marking the only sell-equivalent rating on Wall Street, which led to a premarket decline in the company's shares, reflecting market concerns about its future performance.
- Price Target Adjustment: Analyst Rajesh Kumar slashed the price target for Lilly from $1,070 to $850, indicating that the stock is 'priced to perfection' and expressing worries about the total addressable market (TAM) for obesity therapies, which could undermine investor confidence.
- Market Competition Risks: As rival Novo Nordisk (NVO) seeks to regain market share and engage in price competition, Lilly faces uncertainty regarding its oral obesity therapy orforglipron's FDA approval, potentially resulting in a smaller market share that could impact future revenues.
- Revenue Forecast Uncertainty: While current market forecasts suggest $1.5 billion in revenue for Lilly's oral obesity segment this year, the analyst warns that if patient compliance and persistence align with typical oral medications, the company may fall short of expectations, further increasing market uncertainty.
See More
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- HSBC Downgrades Eli Lilly: Analysts downgraded Eli Lilly from hold to sell, reflecting cautious sentiment regarding medium-term sales forecasts for the GLP-1 market, despite the upcoming obesity pill launch, highlighting the intense competition in the market.
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