Is Eli Lilly stock a good investment?

Eli Lilly stock has been a very good investment over the years. The company has delivered a total annual return of 32.5% over the last decade (as of late 2026), more than double the average S&P 500 return (15.5%). A big driver has been its success in developing blockbuster drugs. The company's portfolio features several growth products and new drugs that should continue driving its revenue and profitability higher. Its profit growth should enable Eli Lilly to increase its dividend while potentially helping it continue delivering strong stock price appreciation. However, the company trades at a high valuation (more than 30 times forward earnings as of late 2026) and faces growing competition from new GLP-1s. If its sales and earnings continue to grow at brisk rates, Eli Lilly could continue to deliver market-beating total returns.

How do I buy shares of Eli Lilly?

It's easy to buy shares of Eli Lilly. You need to open a brokerage account (if you don't have one already), set a budget, thoroughly research the company, and place an order when you're ready to buy shares. To place an order, you'd fill out the order page in your brokerage account, including:The number of shares you want to buyThe correct stock ticker (LLY for Eli Lilly)The order type (limit order or market order)Once you fill out the order page, click to submit your trade to buy shares of Eli Lilly.

Is Eli Lilly a good long-term stock?

Eli Lilly has historically been a good long-term stock investment. Over the last decade, the pharmaceutical sector has delivered an average annual return of 32.5%, more than double the S&P 500's (around 15.6%), as of late 2026. While past performance is no guarantee of future strong returns, the company has a lot going for it these days. Growth products like Mounjaro and Zepbound are seeing rapid sales growth, and the company has more promising drugs in the pipeline. Rising sales from these and other drugs should drive the company's profits higher, giving it more money to invest in R&D and return to shareholders through a growing dividend and share repurchases. Those factors have historically been key hallmarks of good long-term investments.

Who owns the most Eli Lilly stock?

The Lilly Endowment held the largest stake in Eli Lilly stock in late 2026. It held more than 90 million shares (about 9.6% of its outstanding shares) worth roughly $107.4 billion. The Lilly Endowment is a private philanthropic foundation formed by J. K. Lilly, Sr., and his sons Eli and J. K., Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly.

How to Buy Eli Lilly Stock (LLY)

By Matthew DiLallo – Updated Oct 7, 2026 at 4:27 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Eli Lilly's forecasted 2026 revenue is $85-$87 billion, with EPS expected at $35.50-$36.50.
Mounjaro and Zepbound's booming sales drove a 51% increase in Eli Lilly's H1 2026 sales, totaling $42.8 billion.
Eli Lilly pays dividends, recently increasing its payout by 15% in early 2026.

Eli Lilly (LLY +0.83%) is a leading pharmaceutical company. It has developed several blockbuster products, including Mounjaro (diabetes) and Zepbound (obesity), Trulicity (type 2 diabetes), Taltz (plaque psoriasis), and Jardiance (blood sugar). These and other drugs generate billions in sales and profits for the company each year.

The sales potential of newer drugs like Zepbound has many investors interested in the stock. Here's everything you need to know about how to invest in Eli Lilly.

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How to buy Eli Lilly stock

This step-by-step guide will show you how to invest in Eli Lilly.

Open your brokerage app: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments. If you don't have one yet, take a look at our favorite brokers and trading platforms to find the right one for you.
Search for Eli Lilly: Enter the ticker "LLY" into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.

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Should you invest in Eli Lilly?

You need to decide whether investing in Eli Lilly is right for you. Here are some factors that could lead you to buy the pharmaceutical stock:

You believe it can continue growing briskly as it launches new products and expands sales of its existing portfolio (e.g., Mounjaro and Zepbound).
You believe that the company's treatment pipeline will continue providing new sources of growth (e.g., Foundayo).
You think AI could improve the company's drug discovery processes, leading to better R&D outcomes.
Adding Eli Lilly to your portfolio would help diversify it.
You want to invest in a company that pays a growing dividend.
You believe Eli Lilly can grow into its high valuation.

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On the other hand, here are some reasons you might decide Eli Lilly isn't the right stock for you to buy:

You're wary of pharmaceutical companies and prefer a more natural approach to health and wellness.
You're concerned about the growing competition from other GLP-1 treatments.
You're worried about future patent expirations of the company's top-selling drugs.
You're in or nearing retirement and need more dividend income than Eli Lilly can supply due to its lower yield.
You're concerned about Eli Lilly's high valuation (it had a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of more than 30 times in late 2026).
You already own several pharmaceutical stocks.
You're worried about pricing pressure from government price negotiations and other large buyers, and how that might impact its margins.

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NYSE: LLY

Eli Lilly

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

94/100

Today's Change

(0.83%) $9.67

Current Price

$1,179.27

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1.1T

Day's Range

$1151.67 - $1179.82

52wk Range

$783.85 - $1292.65

Volume

1.4M

Avg Vol

2.5M

Gross Margin

83.40%

Dividend Yield

0.57%

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Is Eli Lilly profitable?

Yes, Eli Lilly is a profitable company. During the first half of 2026, the company generated $42.8 billion in sales, up 51% from the prior-year period, driven by robust growth in Mounjaro and Zepbound sales. That drove a 72% increase in its net income to $14.5 billion, while its earnings per share rocketed 73% to $16.19.

Eli Lilly expects to generate between $85 billion and $87 billion of revenue in 2026. That should support earnings in the range of $35.50 to $36.50 per share.

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Does Eli Lilly pay a dividend?

Yes, Eli Lilly has a long history of paying dividends. It has increased its payout annually for over a decade. It has been growing its payout at an accelerated pace in recent years, delivering another 15% payout hike in early 2026:

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While the company pays a growing dividend, it offered a below-average dividend yield (the S&P 500 was around 1% in late 2026).

How to invest in Eli Lilly through ETFs

Many investors prefer a passive approach to actively managing a stock portfolio. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) make this easy. They allow you to passively invest in similar companies, market indexes, or other themes.

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Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)

An exchange-traded fund, or ETF, allows investors to buy many stocks or bonds at once.

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According to ETF.com, 614 ETFs held 142.9 million shares of Eli Lilly in late 2026. Investors seeking passive exposure to Eli Lilly have several ETF options, including those focused on top healthcare stocks:

State Street Healthcare Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV +1.58%): The fund tracks the healthcare sector of the S&P 500. The ETF had 60 holdings in late 2026, led by Eli Lilly at 15.3%, with a very low ETF expense ratio of 0.08%.
Vanguard Healthcare ETF (VHT +1.64%): This passively managed ETF tracks an index that measures the performance of healthcare stocks. It held 416 stocks in late 2026, led by Eli Lilly (12.8% of the fund). The ETF had a low expense ratio of 0.09%.
iShares U.S. Pharmaceutical ETF (IHE +1.24%): The fund tracks an index focused on U.S. pharmaceutical stocks. It held shares of 53 companies in late 2026, including Eli Lilly (the largest holding at 24% of its net assets). The fund had a 0.37%

Will Eli Lilly stock split?

Eli Lilly didn't have an upcoming stock split as of late 2026. The pharmaceutical company has split its stock several times over the years. Here's a snapshot of Eli Lilly's stock split history:

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Data source: Eli Lilly.
Split Year	Split Ratio
1997	2-for-1
1995	2-for-1
1989	2-for-1
1986	2-for-1
1971	2-for-1

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The company's last split came in 1997. Shares have gained significantly since then, trading around $1,200 in late 2026. Its high share price makes the stock less accessible to many investors, so Eli Lilly is an excellent candidate to complete a stock split in the future.

The bottom line

Eli Lilly has grown into one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies thanks to the blockbuster success of its drug development efforts. The company expects its revenue and profitability to continue rising, driven by fast-growing products like Zepbound and Mounjaro. That profit growth could send its stock even higher, potentially making it a very rewarding long-term investment.

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Investing in Eli Lilly FAQs

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About the Author

Matt DiLallo has been a contributing Motley Fool stock analyst specializing in the energy, industrials, and real estate sectors since 2012. He also covers dividend-paying stocks, pre-IPO companies, ETFs, and other investing topics. He holds an MBA from Liberty University.

TMFmd19

@MatthewDiLallo

Matt DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

How to Buy Eli Lilly Stock (LLY)

Key Points

How to buy Eli Lilly stock

Should you invest in Eli Lilly?

NYSE: LLY

Key Data Points

Is Eli Lilly profitable?

Does Eli Lilly pay a dividend?

How to invest in Eli Lilly through ETFs

Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)

Will Eli Lilly stock split?

The bottom line

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Investing in Eli Lilly FAQs

Is Eli Lilly stock a good investment?

Is Eli Lilly stock a good investment?

How do I buy shares of Eli Lilly?

How do I buy shares of Eli Lilly?

Is Eli Lilly a good long-term stock?

Is Eli Lilly a good long-term stock?

Who owns the most Eli Lilly stock?

Who owns the most Eli Lilly stock?

About the Author

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Is Eli Lilly stock a good investment?

Is Eli Lilly stock a good investment?

How do I buy shares of Eli Lilly?

How do I buy shares of Eli Lilly?

Is Eli Lilly a good long-term stock?

Is Eli Lilly a good long-term stock?

Who owns the most Eli Lilly stock?

Who owns the most Eli Lilly stock?

Will Eli Lilly stock split?