Eli Lilly blows past quarterly estimates, hikes outlook as Zepbound and Mounjaro sales skyrocket

eli lilly crushed first-quarter expectations on thursday, posting adjusted earnings of $8.55 per share versus the $6.66 analysts expected. revenue hit $19.80 billion, up 56% from a year ago, beating the $17.62 billion consensus. the company raised its full-year revenue outlook by $2 billion, now expecting $82 billion to $85 billion. adjusted profit guidance also went up, to $35.50–$37 per share from $33.50–$35. mounjaro worldwide revenue rose 125% to $8.66 billion, with $4.2 billion from the u.s. — both beat streetaccount estimates. zepbound posted $4.16 billion in u.s. revenue, up 80% from last year, also above expectations. lilly now holds 60.1% of the u.s. obesity and diabetes drug market; novo nordisk has 39.4%. shares rose more than 5% in premarket trading. the company's new glp-1 pill foundayo launched in the second quarter, so its sales aren't in this report. early prescription data suggests a "modest" start, per leerink partners. ceo dave ricks expects lower prices to boost prescription volumes and estimates global glp-1 use will go from 20 million patients at end of last year to 30 million by end of 2026.