Alliancebernstein L.P. Sells 258,213 Shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Key Points

• AllianceBernstein L.P. cut its stake in Gilead by 4.2%, selling 258,213 shares and retaining 5,886,577 shares (about 0.47% of the company) valued at approximately $653.41M.
• Insiders have been net sellers recently: CEO Daniel Patrick O'Day sold 115,640 shares (≈$15.6M), and insiders disposed of 309,280 shares (~$43.9M) over the last three months, leaving insider ownership near 0.27%.
• Market sentiment is broadly positive—Gilead beat quarterly estimates, several analysts raised price targets (consensus "Moderate Buy", target ≈$157.62) and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.82—but the planned $7.8B Arcellx acquisition faces potential legal scrutiny that could be an overhang.

Alliancebernstein L.P. cut its holdings in Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD - Free Report) by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,886,577 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after selling 258,213 shares during the quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. owned approximately 0.47% of Gilead Sciences worth $653,410,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 7,148,405 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $793,506,000 after purchasing an additional 400,002 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning lifted its stake in Gilead Sciences by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 303,062 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $33,640,000 after purchasing an additional 20,975 shares during the last quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 10.3% in the third quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. now owns 74,476 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $8,267,000 after buying an additional 6,928 shares in the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 1.3% in the third quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 453,585 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $50,348,000 after buying an additional 5,616 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Credit Agricole S A bought a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the third quarter worth $78,491,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.67% of the company's stock.

Key Gilead Sciences News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism — Jefferies and other firms have initiated or reiterated positive coverage, highlighting Gilead’s strong HIV franchise, expanding oncology/cell therapy pipeline and long IP runway (through ~2036), which supports both income and growth narratives. How Renewed Wall Street Optimism Around HIV, Oncology And IP Runway At Gilead Sciences (GILD) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised near-term EPS estimates (Q1/Q2 and FY2027 upgrades reported), nudging earnings expectations higher — a constructive signal for investors focused on fundamentals. The Zacks Analyst Blog: Oracle, T‑Mobile, Gilead and C&F Financial
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call-option activity (130k+ calls) signals bullish positioning by traders, which can amplify upside if catalysts continue. (Market data)
• Positive Sentiment: Index and institutional flows — rising institutional focus amid Nasdaq‑100 dynamics can support demand for GILD shares from passive and quant funds. Gilead NASDAQ: GILD Institutional Focus Rises In Nasdaq 100 Index
• Neutral Sentiment: Acquisition rationale — coverage and analyst pieces discuss whether the ~$7.8B Arcellx buy strengthens Gilead’s cell‑therapy franchise amid declining cell therapy sales; the strategic case is positive but clinical/commercial risks remain. Will GILD's Move to Acquire ACLX Boost Its Cell Therapy Franchise?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market context — broader investor flows into growth/tech vs. traditional defensives are affecting healthcare sector moves; this macro backdrop is neither uniquely positive nor negative for Gilead. Why Investors Aren’t Fleeing to Safe‑Haven Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Deal/legal risk — a law firm (Kahn Swick & Foti) is investigating Arcellx’s proposed sale to Gilead, citing concerns over price/process; shareholder litigation or regulatory scrutiny could delay or alter the transaction terms and is a near‑term overhang. Arcellx Investor Alert: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of Arcellx, Inc.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Daniel Patrick O'day sold 115,640 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $15,611,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 566,698 shares of the company's stock, valued at $76,504,230. The trade was a 16.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.44, for a total transaction of $4,324,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 120,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,577,278.72. This represents a 18.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 309,280 shares of company stock valued at $43,935,470 over the last three months. 0.27% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GILD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $170.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $103.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $128.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $157.62.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

Shares of Gilead Sciences stock opened at $144.99 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $179.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.37. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a twelve month low of $93.37 and a twelve month high of $157.29. The company's fifty day moving average is $140.62 and its 200 day moving average is $126.87. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 49.46% and a net margin of 28.90%.Gilead Sciences's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.90 EPS. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Gilead Sciences's previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Gilead Sciences's payout ratio is currently 46.68%.

Gilead Sciences Profile

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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