Zacks Research upgraded shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD – Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Gilead Sciences’ Q1 2027 earnings at $2.09 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.24 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.43 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.60 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $9.36 EPS.
Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Leerink Partners downgraded shares of Gilead Sciences from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $146.00 to $127.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 27th. Maxim Group upgraded Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $165.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price target on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Gilead Sciences currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $158.04.
Gilead Sciences Trading Up 2.4%
Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($6.75) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($7.25) by $0.50. The business had revenue of $7.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.40 billion. Gilead Sciences had a negative return on equity of 2.11% and a negative net margin of 10.64%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.01 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Gilead Sciences will post -0.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Gilead Sciences Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -122.85%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Gilead Sciences
In related news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.36, for a total transaction of $415,080.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 165,646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,918,780.56. This trade represents a 1.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Anthony Welters sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.62, for a total value of $2,675,160.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,894 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,916,306.28. This trade represents a 58.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 90,000 shares of company stock worth $12,266,220 in the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new position in Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 71.4% in the fourth quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 204 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.67% of the company’s stock.
Gilead Sciences News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Gilead Sciences this week:
- Positive Sentiment: FDA approval expands HIV portfolio: The FDA approved Bixlenvo, Gilead’s once-daily, single-tablet regimen for virologically suppressed adults with HIV. The treatment could broaden Gilead’s offerings, particularly among underserved patients, and create an additional source of HIV revenue. FDA Approves Gilead’s New Single Tablet HIV Regimen
- Positive Sentiment: Strong Buy ranking reinforces earnings optimism: Zacks upgraded Gilead to a Rank #1, or Strong Buy, citing improving earnings prospects. The upgrade may attract additional investor interest. Gilead Upgraded to Strong Buy
- Positive Sentiment: 2027 earnings estimates moved higher: Zacks raised its forecasts for every quarter in 2027 by $0.01 to $0.02 per share and increased its full-year estimate to $9.36 from $9.30. Erste Group also lifted its FY2027 estimate to $9.86 from $9.57. Although the revisions are modest, they indicate improving analyst expectations for Gilead’s earnings trajectory.
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst support comes with limitations: Wall Street’s average recommendation remains favorable, but the accompanying analysis notes that sell-side ratings can be overly optimistic and may have limited predictive value. Investors will likely look for evidence that Bixlenvo gains meaningful market adoption.
- Neutral Sentiment: Stock near the upper end of its range: GILD is trading well above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and close to its 52-week high, suggesting that considerable optimism may already be reflected in the valuation. This could limit near-term upside if product launches or earnings fail to exceed expectations.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Foster City, California, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of medicines in areas of high unmet medical need. The company initially built its reputation in antiviral therapies and has since expanded into oncology, cell therapy and inflammatory diseases. Gilead operates a global research and commercial organization, conducting clinical development and selling medicines in markets around the world.
Gilead’s product portfolio is anchored by antiviral therapies for HIV and viral hepatitis.
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