Five years ago, Eli Lilly and Company $LLY shares were trading around $166 each. Today, it's closed at $1,037.15—a powerful 414% rise that comes from blockbuster success with weight-loss and diabetes drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound, plus strong progress in Alzheimer's treatments and oncology.

The chart shows a clear long-term upward path from 2022 lows, with consistent gains through 2025 and early 2026, and a 52-week high of $1,133.95 showing the stock has already reached very high ground.

In simple terms, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past five years is 44.1%. That's the average yearly increase—calculated by raising the total growth factor to the 1/5 power and subtracting 1. It means growing your money by roughly 44% each year, on average.

Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) makes this straightforward: Invest $500 every month for five years, totaling $30,000. This buys more shares when prices are lower and fewer when they're higher, which helps smooth out any temporary pullbacks. Projecting forward at the same historical CAGR, with a monthly growth rate of about 3.10% from $1,037.15, your position compounds steadily.

After 60 months, your portfolio could reach approximately $84,200. That's a gain of about $54,200—a 181% return on your invested capital. The earliest contributions benefit most from compounding, while later ones still capture very strong overall growth.

This projection follows historical performance, which does not guarantee future results. Pharma stocks like LLY are influenced by drug approvals, patent expirations, competition, pricing pressure, and clinical trial outcomes.

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The current P/E ratio of 50.72 reflects high expectations for continued earnings growth, and the 0.67% dividend yield provides modest but reliable quarterly income. With a $980.5B market cap and the 52-week high of $1,133.95 still very close, LLY remains one of the most powerful growth stories in healthcare.

If you're comfortable with the risks and believe in the company's ability to keep delivering new treatments, DCA lets you participate consistently without trying to time the market. Your steady $500 monthly investments could build a very substantial position by 2031. Ready to keep the prescription flowing?