How many stock traders can honestly say they earned a decent profit last year? Investors of Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) were among the few real winners, due to the share-price appreciation of LLY stock as well as the dividend payments. Moreover, there are reasons to believe Eli Lilly will maintain its outstanding track record during the coming months.

Some folks might pigeonhole Eli Lilly as a safe company, one that your grandparents might have invested in. There’s certainly a defensive aspect to Eli Lilly, but the company has exciting things going on in its drug pipeline.

In other words, there’s nothing boring about Eli Lilly and last year’s share-price rally could easily continue this year. Whether you’re looking for growth or yield – heck, why not both? – you’ll find something irresistible about Eli Lilly.

What’s Happening with LLY Stock?
Like a star football player, LLY stock scrambled from $260 to $360 last year, bypassing other players on the field. In early 2023, the stock is mainly in consolidation mode, possibly taking a breather in preparation for another run-up.

There are no guarantees here, but this should be another impressive year for Eli Lilly. While you’re waiting for further updates, you can collect some decent yield as Eli Lilly pays a forward annual dividend yield of 1.26%.

The company is also likely to be a revenue grower this year. In fact, Eli Lilly’s 2022 revenue guidance is $28.5 to $29 billion; its guidance for this year is $30.3 to $30.8 billion.

Additionally, you might call Eli Lilly a “margin machine.” That’s because the company reported approximately 76% gross margin of revenue in 2022, and that already considerable figure is anticipated to improve slightly to around 77% in 2023.

Eli Lilly’s Packed Pipeline Is Likely to Grow This Year
Along with strong financials in 2023, investors can prepare for Eli Lilly to develop some potentially-game changing drugs/treatments this year. We’ve already discussed how Mounjaro, already used to treat diabetes, could possibly also gain approval as an obesity treatment.

Investors should expect to read headlines about more than just Mounjanro this year, though. Indeed, Eli Lilly Executive Vice President and CFO Anat Ashkenazi teased “four significant potential new launches” for the news year.

Presumably, Ashkenazi is referring to:

  • Donanemab for Alzheimer’s disease
  • Mirikizumab for Crohn’s disease
  • Lebrikizumab for atopic dermatitis
  • Pirtobrutinib for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)

In case that’s not enough, Eli Lilly further anticipates “expected initiation of Phase 3 clinical trials for retatrutide (GGG tri-agonist) in obesity and orforglipron (oral GLP-1 NPA) in type 2 diabetes and obesity.”

Suffice it to say, then, that Eli Lilly’s already packed pipeline will be practically bursting with possibilities in 2023.

What You Can Do Now
Amateur traders might call Eli Lilly boring, but the company was a rare winner among relative poor performers in 2022. Frankly, there’s nothing boring about powerful share-price appreciation and consistent dividend payments.

Besides, Eli Lilly’s clinical pipeline could deliver multiple breakthrough drugs this year. There’s strong potential for revenue generation and another share-price rally, so don’t hesitate to put LLY stock on your watch list today.

— Louis Navellier and the Investor Place Research Staff

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Source: Investor Place