Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Lowered to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Gilead Sciences from “buy” to “hold.” Despite the downgrade, the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus price target of $158.04.
• Gilead reported quarterly revenue of $7.80 billion, ahead of the $7.40 billion consensus estimate, while revenue increased 10.6% year over year. However, the company posted a loss of $6.75 per share and negative net margins.
• Insiders have sold 105,000 shares worth approximately $14.5 million over the past three months, though the reported transactions were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plans.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

GILD has been the subject of a number of other reports. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $161.00 to $150.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Zacks Research upgraded Gilead Sciences from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $157.00 to $156.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $120.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $158.04.

Gilead Sciences Stock Down 0.2%

GILD opened at $150.99 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $136.67 and a 200-day moving average of $136.52. The company has a market capitalization of $187.22 billion, a P/E ratio of -56.55 and a beta of 0.33. Gilead Sciences has a fifty-two week low of $108.46 and a fifty-two week high of $157.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.27.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($6.75) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($7.25) by $0.50. Gilead Sciences had a negative net margin of 10.64% and a negative return on equity of 2.11%. The business had revenue of $7.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.01 earnings per share. Gilead Sciences's revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Gilead Sciences will post -0.48 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Daniel O'Day sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.31, for a total transaction of $1,954,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 592,133 shares of the company's stock, valued at $77,160,851.23. This trade represents a 2.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.02, for a total value of $725,100.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 10,066 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,459,771.32. This trade represents a 33.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 105,000 shares of company stock valued at $14,495,820. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Gilead Sciences

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Gilead Sciences by 20.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 14,359 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,326,000 after acquiring an additional 2,450 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth approximately $215,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 16.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,182 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 118,695 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $13,160,000 after purchasing an additional 12,705 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Gilead Sciences by 18.6% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,296 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $516,000 after purchasing an additional 674 shares during the period. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Gilead Sciences

Here are the key news stories impacting Gilead Sciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: New HIV and oncology approvals broaden Gilead’s growth prospects. FDA approval of Bixlenvo, a once-daily single-tablet HIV regimen for virologically suppressed adults on complex treatments, could strengthen the company’s HIV franchise. Separately, European approval of Trodelvy plus Keytruda for certain first-line metastatic triple-negative breast cancer patients expands Gilead’s oncology opportunity. Commercial uptake will determine the ultimate revenue impact. HIV and oncology approvals article
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised long-term earnings expectations. Zacks Research increased its Q1 2028 EPS estimate to $2.15, Q2 2028 to $2.31 and FY2028 to $9.66, while maintaining a “Strong Buy” rating. The revisions suggest improving confidence in Gilead’s future profitability. Gilead analyst estimates
• Positive Sentiment: An Arcus-backed cancer study reached completion. The milestone sets up a potentially important immuno-oncology catalyst, although investors will likely need to wait for efficacy and safety data before assigning significant value to the program. Arcus-backed cancer trial article
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead continues to support income investors with a $0.82 quarterly dividend. The $3.28 annualized payout provides shareholder support, but the high payout relative to reported earnings makes future dividend growth dependent on sustained HIV cash flow and successful new-product launches. Gilead dividend article
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Daniel O’Day sold $2.23 million of stock. The 15,000-share sale reduced his holdings by 2.53%, but it was completed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, limiting its value as a bearish signal. SEC insider trading filing
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned about concentration and patent-expiration risk. Gilead’s dividend and cash generation depend heavily on its leading HIV franchise, particularly a blockbuster therapy facing a known patent expiration later in the next decade. The sharp decline in cell-therapy licensing deals also highlights uncertainty around diversification beyond HIV. Gilead dividend and patent risk article

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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