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Eli Lilly & Co.LLYBUY ON WEAKNESSJun 11, 2026Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 15, 2026. Market Open.
Largest pharma company in the US, and possibly the world. Breaking out to fresh all-time highs. Leading GLP-1 drugs. 150-year history of healthcare innovation.
Obesity + diabetes comprise ~55% of revenues, and growing fast. Also into oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and more. Well-insulated from patent cliffs. 80% of marketed drugs are "biologic", which stand up better to generic competition. Prolific FCF. M&A frenzy this year on top of pretty robust R&D. Yield is 0.61% (growing 15% compound pace over last 5 years, should continue).
Has owned a long time in the growth fund. It is a leader in GLP 1. Every year the weight loss drugs seem to be able to treat another condition so it is a bit of a miracle drug. Is still early for these drugs. It is expensive so if you want something else you could try Thermo Fisher for broad exposure. The health care sector still has an overhang from Covid and the US government has pulled back on spending.
Breaking out to new highs. Bit more diversified than NVO, and a bit more stable. Supposed to come out with pill form for weight loss sometime this year. Well above 200-day MA, which is starting to push higher. Prefers this name.
NVO is more focused on 2 areas: diabetes and weight loss. Recently announced pill version for weight loss, and that's very positive. Valuation's quite cheap. Competitive pricing, regulatory scrutiny. Trades at 17x PE, but earnings growth forecast looks cloudy for next couple of years. Might be building a base, but still a tad below 200-day MA.
Both have signed agreement with US government for expansion in Medicare, albeit with lower pricing.
Weight-loss space is currently a battle between NVO and LLY, though other competitors will arrive on the scene in the next 5-10 years. LLY secured way more capacity than NVO did. LLY executed better, and revenue and sales should grow much faster.
Huge drop in NVO makes it more interesting, but LLY still has the better growth outlook (including the pill version when it hits the market later this year).
Clear leader in diabetes and weight loss. Other players are coming in, but this name is ahead of the curve. Very strong earnings growth over next few years (50% for 2026, 22% for 2027, 17% for 2028). Reliable aspects of a pharmaceutical healthcare name, plus very strong earnings growth.
RSI is 70, so wait for a bit of a pullback.