Eli Lilly Stock Rises as Citadel Nearly Quadruples LLY Stake and Foundayo Launches in the UK
Key Takeaways
- •Citadel purchased 704,000 additional Eli Lilly shares in the second quarter of 2026, raising its stake to 945,000 shares worth $1.18 billion and making LLY the fund's sixth-largest position.
- •Eli Lilly launched Foundayo (orforglipron) in the UK, the first European country to offer the oral GLP-1 treatment, following regulatory authorisation on August 10 and availability by private prescription.
- •Foundayo is expected to cost £100-£120 per month in the UK, below Mounjaro's £330 monthly price, but NHS availability depends on a pending NICE review that has no date set for a second meeting.
- •Combined sales of Eli Lilly's weight-loss and diabetes medications are on track to exceed $55 billion this year.
- •Twenty Wall Street analysts assign LLY a consensus Strong Buy rating, with an average price target of $1,375.78 implying roughly 12% upside.
Eli Lilly stock is trading around $1,228, up 17% this year, after Ken Griffin’s Citadel nearly quadrupled its position in the pharmaceutical company during the second quarter of 2026.
Citadel bought 704,000 additional LLY shares in the quarter, bringing its total holding to 945,000 shares valued at $1.18 billion. That makes Eli Lilly the fund’s sixth-largest position across nearly 7,500 stock holdings.
Citadel appears to have bought during a decline. LLY was down 21% year-to-date through the end of April before recovering. Griffin’s firm added to the position throughout the second quarter, and the stock has climbed sharply since then.
The downturn coincided with U.S. regulatory approval of Foundayo, Lilly’s oral weight-loss pill. The stock has since rebounded and reached an all-time high in recent weeks, as investors continue to watch how the company’s obesity and diabetes franchise translates into revenue.
Eli Lilly’s weight-loss and diabetes drug portfolio continues to drive results. Combined sales from those medications are on track to exceed $55 billion this year.
Foundayo Launches in the UK
On Monday, Eli Lilly launched Foundayo in the United Kingdom, making Britain the first country in Europe to offer the oral GLP-1 treatment. The drug, known chemically as orforglipron, is currently available by private prescription.
Britain’s medicines regulator authorised Foundayo on August 10. It is the second GLP-1 tablet available in the UK, following Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill.
UK pricing for Foundayo is expected to be between £100 and £120 per month. That is below the cost of Lilly’s Mounjaro injection, which is priced at £330 per month.
For comparison, the Wegovy pill is privately priced in the UK from £74 to £129 per month, depending on dose and subscription plan.
Before Foundayo can be made available on the NHS, England’s cost watchdog NICE must complete its review. NICE has requested further information after its first committee meeting, and no date has been set for a second review.
Wall Street’s View on LLY
Twenty Wall Street analysts currently cover LLY, and the consensus rating is Strong Buy. That view reflects 18 Buy ratings and two Hold ratings issued over the past three months.
The average price target is $1,375.78, implying about 12% upside from current levels.
Foundayo remains under review in the European Union. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill has received a positive recommendation from the European Medicines Agency, while a final decision from the European Commission is still pending.
In the U.S., self-pay pricing for Foundayo starts at $149 per month and rises to $349 for higher doses. A new Medicare pilot program offers selective access for $50 per month.
