Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) stock was the picture of health on Friday. Shares of the massive American pharmaceutical company rose by more than 2% on the day, thanks largely to news from a rival. That performance was in contrast to the S&P 500's (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) trajectory;

Since the start of 2020, Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) stock price chart has been straight up and to the right, up 472.57% and currently trading at $756.99. The company has been around since 1876 and the stock didn’t go public until 1952 but in the last 4 years,

When investors are paying such high price tags for a stock, expectations are high, and any kind of miss can result in a steep correction. Lilly is by no means in bad shape, but because the stock's price has become so inflated in recent years, so have expectations.

The technical picture worsened for Eli Lilly stock in December as it completed a pattern known as a “Death Cross”. This pattern is drawn when a stock’s 50-day moving average breaks below its 200-day moving average. A Death Cross typically forecasts another 4-6 months of selling pressure for a stock.

Eli Lilly ( LLY -6.59%) is the most valuable healthcare stock in the world, with a market capitalization of around $720 billion. For a while, it looked like it might be on track to be the first healthcare company to top a $1 trillion valuation, perhaps as early as this year.

All told, Lilly stock still gained 33% in 2024, outperforming the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite. Unfortunately, Lilly investors haven't had much to celebrate so far in 2025. On Jan. 14, shares of Lilly dropped by as much as 8% and ended the day down around 6%. Year-to-date, share prices are down about 1.4%.

Eli Lilly's diverse portfolio shows broad growth, with significant contributions from oncology and other therapeutic areas. See why LLY stock is a Buy.