Zacks Research Expects Higher Earnings for Gilead Sciences

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q1 2027 EPS forecast for Gilead Sciences to $2.10 from $2.09, while maintaining a “Hold” rating; it estimates FY2027 EPS of $9.42.
• Gilead’s latest quarterly results topped expectations: EPS was $2.55 versus a $2.19 consensus, and revenue of $8.30 billion beat estimates and rose 6.8% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $171.07; 23 analysts rate the stock Buy and six rate it Hold.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD - Free Report) - Research analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note issued on Thursday, November 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the biopharmaceutical company will earn $2.10 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $2.09. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Gilead Sciences' current full-year earnings is ($0.98) per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Gilead Sciences' Q2 2027 earnings at $2.25 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.49 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $9.42 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $2.32 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $2.58 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.69 EPS.

GILD has been the subject of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $163.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. HSBC raised their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Gilead Sciences has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $171.07.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

NASDAQ GILD opened at $167.95 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $208.31 billion, a PE ratio of -53.15 and a beta of 0.35. Gilead Sciences has a 52 week low of $116.88 and a 52 week high of $176.58. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $154.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $141.66.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.36. Gilead Sciences had a negative return on equity of 1.85% and a negative net margin of 12.47%. The company had revenue of $8.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.47 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Gilead Sciences Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 15th. Gilead Sciences's dividend payout ratio is -103.80%.

Insider Activity

In other Gilead Sciences news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.22, for a total value of $468,660.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 113,684 shares in the company, valued at $17,759,714.48. This represents a 2.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Daniel O'Day sold 9,810 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.17, for a total transaction of $1,718,417.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 551,683 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $96,638,311.11. The trade was a 1.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 242,709 shares of company stock worth $39,503,427. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kidder Stephen W purchased a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the third quarter worth about $231,000. Trivium Point Advisory LLC raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 5.2% in the third quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC now owns 7,479 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,115,000 after purchasing an additional 368 shares in the last quarter. Xcelsior Advisor Partners LLC raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 145.5% in the third quarter. Xcelsior Advisor Partners LLC now owns 30,009 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $4,473,000 after purchasing an additional 17,786 shares in the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Gilead Sciences by 38.6% during the third quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 40,454 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $6,030,000 after purchasing an additional 11,275 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smith Moore & CO. bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences during the third quarter valued at approximately $227,000. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Gilead Sciences News Summary

These are some of the GILD news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Gilead’s HIV business is highlighted as a growth driver: Yeztugo sales are gaining momentum, Biktarvy remains a market leader, and the company has an expanding pipeline. Article: Can Gilead Sciences' HIV Business Fuel Sustainable Long-Term Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Results from the PURPOSE 5 trial showed twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir had better persistence than daily oral HIV-prevention medicines, with no HIV infections reported in the lenacapavir group. The data could strengthen the commercial outlook for Gilead’s prevention portfolio. Article: Gilead Sciences Posts PURPOSE 5 Win As HIV Shot Beats Daily Pills
• Negative Sentiment: Drug-price negotiations in Washington are cited as a near-term risk for Gilead, as lower prices could pressure revenue. The article does not quantify the potential impact. Article: Lilly, Gilead Face Near-Term Drug Pricing Risks As Washington Turns Up Heat

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes medicines for serious diseases. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Foster City, California, the company focuses on antiviral therapies, including treatments and preventive medicines for HIV and medicines for viral hepatitis. Its products include Biktarvy for HIV and Epclusa for hepatitis C. Gilead also develops medicines in areas such as oncology and inflammatory diseases. Its portfolio includes Veklury (remdesivir), an antiviral medicine used to treat COVID-19.

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.