Zacks Research Lowers Earnings Estimates for Gilead Sciences

Key Points

• Zacks Research trimmed its Q1 2028 EPS estimate for Gilead Sciences to $2.14 from $2.15 and maintained a “Hold” rating.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: 23 analysts rate Gilead a “Buy” and six rate it a “Hold,” producing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $158.78.
• Gilead’s latest quarter showed revenue growth of 10.6% year over year to $7.8 billion, driven largely by its HIV portfolio, while the company continues to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.82 per share.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD - Free Report) - Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2028 earnings per share estimates for Gilead Sciences in a report released on Thursday, October 1st. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings of $2.14 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $2.15. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Gilead Sciences' current full-year earnings is ($0.48) per share.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Gilead Sciences from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, September 19th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $120.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Leerink Partners lowered shares of Gilead Sciences from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $146.00 to $127.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Gilead Sciences from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $158.78.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

Gilead Sciences stock opened at $144.74 on Monday. Gilead Sciences has a 52-week low of $109.66 and a 52-week high of $157.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $179.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -54.21 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $143.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $136.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($6.75) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($7.25) by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $7.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.01 EPS.

Gilead Sciences Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Gilead Sciences's payout ratio is -122.85%.

Insider Activity at Gilead Sciences

In other Gilead Sciences news, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.02, for a total value of $725,100.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 10,066 shares in the company, valued at $1,459,771.32. The trade was a 33.19% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Anthony Welters sold 18,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.62, for a total transaction of $2,675,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 12,894 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,916,306.28. This trade represents a 58.26% decrease in their position. 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. Insiders sold 105,000 shares of company stock valued at $14,940,540 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GILD. Aviva PLC lifted its stake in Gilead Sciences by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 1,156,738 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $141,978,000 after purchasing an additional 59,782 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia purchased a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter worth $100,056,000. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the second quarter valued at $55,754,000. Groupe la Francaise grew its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 30.9% in the second quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 49,627 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $6,270,000 after buying an additional 11,712 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the 2nd quarter valued at $6,251,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.67% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Gilead’s HIV portfolio remains the primary growth driver. Biktarvy helped lift quarterly revenue to approximately $7.8 billion, while the company’s broader revenue increased 10.6% year over year. Biktarvy Drives Gilead Sciences Revenue to $7.8 Billion
• Positive Sentiment: Barron’s reiterated a bullish view, noting that Gilead shares have risen 35% since its earlier coverage but arguing that the company’s catalysts have not yet fully played out. The view supports continued investor interest in the pipeline and core HIV business. More Upside Awaits for Gilead Sciences Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Daniel O’Day sold 15,000 shares worth about $2.2 million. Because the transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, it may have limited bearish significance, although insider selling can weigh on sentiment. Gilead SEC Form 4 Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead has become one of the most-watched stocks among Zacks users, indicating elevated market attention but not necessarily a change in fundamentals. Gilead Trending Stock Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded Gilead from “strong buy” to “hold,” potentially encouraging profit-taking after the stock’s strong recent advance and reducing near-term buying support.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc NASDAQ: GILD is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases. Its research and commercial activities focus primarily on virology, including HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, as well as oncology, inflammation and other areas of significant unmet medical need.

Gilead's portfolio includes HIV treatments such as Biktarvy, Descovy, Genvoya and Sunlenca; hepatitis therapies including Epclusa, Harvoni and Vemlidy; and Veklury (remdesivir), an antiviral used to treat COVID-19 in certain patients.

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