Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) Faces Market Challenges and Opportunities

• Daiwa sets a price target of $700 for Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) but downgrades it to Neutral due to disappointing phase 3 study results of orforglipron.
• Eli Lilly's weight loss drug, Zepbound, drives significant revenue, but market preference is shifting towards oral pills over injectables.
• LLY's stock price reflects a 2.45% increase, with a market capitalization of approximately $663.68 billion.

Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) is a major player in the healthcare industry, known for its innovative pharmaceutical products. On August 17, 2025, Narumi Nakagiri from Daiwa set a price target of $700 for LLY. At that time, the stock was trading at $701.23, slightly above the target by 0.18%. Despite this, Daiwa downgraded the stock to Neutral from Outperform, as reported by TheFly.

Eli Lilly has faced challenges recently, particularly with its investigational oral GLP-1 candidate, orforglipron. The phase 3 study results were disappointing, impacting the company's stock performance. This setback opens a potential $10 billion opportunity for competitors like Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly's main rival in the GLP-1 medicines market.

Eli Lilly's weight loss drug, Zepbound, has been a significant revenue driver, generating billions in quarterly sales. However, the market preference is shifting towards oral pills over injectable therapies like Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. Pills are easier and less costly to produce, store, and transport, which could alter market dynamics.

Currently, LLY's stock price is $701.23, reflecting a 2.45% increase or $16.80. The stock has traded between $685.80 and $706.79 today. Over the past year, LLY reached a high of $972.53 and a low of $623.78. The company's market capitalization is approximately $663.68 billion, with a trading volume of 8,116,656 shares on the NYSE.