Charted: Lilly's great expectations

Eli Lilly's GLP-1 drug sales growth trailed expectations in the fourth quarter.

Why it matters: Weight-loss medication Zepbound and its sibling, diabetes treatment Mounjaro, are part of the blockbuster category of GLP-1 drugs, whose sales are — by most normal measures —soaring.

What they're saying: The U.S. market for incretin-based medications — which includes Zepbound and Mounjaro — rose 45% in the fourth quarter, compared to a year earlier, Lilly reported.

• But "our previous guidance had anticipated even faster acceleration of growth," Lilly CEO David Ricks said in a statement, also noting "lower-than-expected channel inventory at year-end."

The impact: Lilly's stock fell 6.6% today.