Eli Lilly Reports Strong Quarter As Weight-Loss Drug Sales Rise 172%

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly (LLY) has reported second-quarter financial results that beat Wall Street estimates and raised its forward guidance as sales of its weight-loss drug soar.The Indiana-based company announced earnings per share (EPS) of $6.31 U.S., which was ahead of the $5.57 U.S. expected among analysts.Revenue in the period totaled $15.56 billion U.S., which topped the $14.71 billion U.S. forecast on Wall Street. Sales were up 38% from a year earlier.In addition to the strong Q2 print, Eli Lilly also raised its guidance for fiscal 2025, saying it now expects sales of $60 billion U.S. to $62 billion U.S. The new revenue guidance is up from a previous outlook of $58 billion U.S. to $61 billion U.S. Eli Lilly also expects its fiscal 2025 earnings to come in between $21.75 U.S. to $23 U.S. per share, up from a previous range of $20.78 U.S. to $22.28 U.S. a share. Management said the new outlook reflects U.S. President Donald Trump’s current tariffs but does not include any future import duties that might be levied on pharmaceuticals. The beat and raise quarter comes as sales of Eli Lilly’s diabetes treatment Mounjaro topped expectations, raking in $5.2 billion U.S., up 68% from a year ago.Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound also beat estimates, achieving $3.38 billion U.S. in sales for the second quarter, up 172% from the same period in 2024. Analysts had expected Mounjaro and Zepbound to generate $4.49 billion U.S. and $3.06 billion U.S. in sales, respectively. Also on Aug. 7, Eli Lilly shared late-stage trial data on its new weight-loss pill, showing that the highest dose helped patients lose more than 12% of their body weight. The trial results largely met expectations, paving the way for the weight-loss pill to be approved by U.S. regulators in 2026. Heading into earnings, LLY stock had declined 4% this year to trade at $746.37 U.S. per share.