Eli Lilly ( LLY 3.89%) stock inched 2.5% higher through 9:50 a.m. ET Thursday after beating on the top and bottom lines in this morning's Q4 earnings report. Heading into the report, analysts forecast Lilly would earn $5.08 per share on sales of $13.4 billion. As it turns out, Lilly earned $5.32 per share in Q4, and sales were $13.5 billion.

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Key Takeaways Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings before the bell Thursday.Analysts tracking the company see increased sales and profit for Eli Lilly in the first full period in which its weight-loss drugs ceased to be in shortage.