LLY NVDA Explore stocks on Coinbase Trading disclosure Trading disclosure The above button links to Coinbase. Yahoo Finance is not a broker-dealer or investment adviser and does not offer securities or cryptocurrencies for sale or facilitate trading. Coinbase pays us for certain activity generated through this link. Prices displayed are informational.
When stocks start trading north of the $1,000 mark, investors often wonder if a stock split may be coming. A stock split reduces the price of a stock, making it easier for investors to buy without having to purchase fractional shares, which aren't available on all platforms and for all types of stocks.
Healthcare giant Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) has a share price that's comfortably above $1,000, and these days is closer to the $1,200 mark. It's been a tremendous growth stock over the years, and its valuation is north of $1 trillion. A great way to cap off its impressive growth might be with a stock split before the end of the year. But here's why I don't think that will happen.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
There are some companies that love to do stock splits, while others aren't nearly as keen. It's been 29 years since Eli Lilly last did a stock split, when it did a 2-for-1 split back in 1997. That was the fourth split in its history; the others took place in 1995, 1989, and 1986. For a while there, Eli Lilly seemed to love stock splits.
However, stock splits are discretionary. Management may not choose to undertake them, even if the stock price becomes incredibly high. Eli Lilly could easily do a 10-for-1 split today, and its share price would still be above $100. It hit the $1,000 mark last year, and CEO David A. Ricks, who has been at the helm since 2017, hasn't announced a stock split. If a split was going to happen, I believe it would have taken place by now.
A stock split doesn't make investors any richer. They will own more shares, but the average share price will also go down; the investment value will remain unchanged.
The good news, however, is that for investors who are willing to hang on to Eli Lilly stock for the long term, it can still be a solid buy today. It's a dominant company in the anti-obesity drug market, and its broad business can ensure it continues growing for the foreseeable future.
Although it may not be a cheap stock to own right now, it can be a solid growth investment to hang on to for years. Plus, it can generate a lot of dividend income as it has aggressively raised its payouts in recent years. Eli Lilly is the type of growth stock that investors can buy and forget about.
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Eli Lilly wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $379,123!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,408,822!*
Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 950% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 215% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 13, 2026.
David Jagielski, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Eli Lilly. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Will Eli Lilly Do a Stock Split Before the End of 2026? was originally published by The Motley Fool
