Eli Lilly proves the trendline bulls right with explosive earnings pop

Eli Lilly and Company (LLY), the pharmaceutical giant dominating the weight-loss drug revolution with Mounjaro and Zepbound, just clearly demonstrated why respecting trendline support matters. After a pullback that brought the stock down to test the ascending support line that's guided its entire rally from $620 to recent highs, LLY didn't just hold—it exploded 10% higher on earnings, vindicating every bull who saw that trendline as sacred ground.

Let's rewind the tape. From September lows near $620, LLY carved out one of the cleanest uptrends you'll find in large-cap healthcare, eventually pushing toward $1,150. That yellow ascending trendline I’ve drawn has repeatedly served as LLY’s roadmap. Multiple times over five months, price touched or approached this support, and multiple times buyers materialized to defend it. Each successful defense led to another leg higher, building the kind of technical credibility that turns chart watchers into believers.

When LLY pulled back to around $1,107 ahead of earnings, testing that trendline once again, the setup was obvious but the outcome uncertain. Would this be the time support finally cracked? Would we see that $860 downside target come into play, potentially erasing months of gains?

The market answered emphatically. Earnings hit the tape, and LLY surged 10% in a single session—the kind of move that doesn't just respect support, it launches from it. The stock now trades more than 7% above where it tested that trendline, pushing into new high territory around $1,185-$1,200 and leaving that $860 bearish target looking like ancient history.

What makes this especially instructive for active traders is the psychology embedded in the price action. Those who sold the pullback, fearing a breakdown, watched the trendline prove its worth spectacularly. Those who bought the test or held through the uncertainty just got paid for trusting the technical structure that's been reliable for months.

For traders evaluating what comes next, the message is clear: this uptrend just got reinforced in the most convincing way possible—fundamental validation meeting technical support. The next logical resistance zones sit further north, likely around the $1,250-$1,280 area if momentum continues.