Eli Lilly Stock Is On Track to Do Something It Hasn't Done Since 2016

Key Points Eli Lilly's stock is having an off year by its standards. The last time it didn't generate at least a double-digit return for its shareholders was back in 2016. While the business is performing exceptionally well, the stock's valuation is a bit pricey. 10 stocks we like better than Eli Lilly › Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) has been a tremendous growth stock over the years. But thus far in 2026, it's been a fairly underwhelming buy. As of Monday's close, it was up around 8%. While that's a decent return, it trails the S&P 500 , which is up by 13%. The stock is on track for its worst performance since 2016, which is the last time it failed to deliver double-digit returns. That year, it declined by nearly 13%.