Ameriprise Financial Inc. Buys 400,002 Shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Key Points

• Ameriprise Financial increased its stake in Gilead by 5.9%, purchasing 400,002 shares to own 7,148,405 shares (~0.58% of the company) valued at about $793.5 million.
• Gilead beat quarterly EPS expectations ($1.86 vs. $1.83), set FY2026 guidance of $8.45–$8.85, and has attracted multiple analyst upgrades and higher price targets, supporting a "Moderate Buy" consensus.
• The company declared a higher quarterly dividend of $0.82 (annualized $3.28, ~2.3% yield), while insiders have sold roughly 309,280 shares (~$43.9 million) over the last 90 days.

Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD - Free Report) by 5.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,148,405 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after acquiring an additional 400,002 shares during the quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. owned about 0.58% of Gilead Sciences worth $793,506,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Trivium Point Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Trivium Point Advisory LLC now owns 7,325 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $813,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 11.8% during the third quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 785 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $87,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 1.9% during the second quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 4,539 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $503,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 9.3% in the third quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 998 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $110,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Ignite Planners LLC lifted its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 1.1% in the third quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 7,932 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $880,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the period. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Gilead Sciences

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.

Gilead Sciences Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of Gilead Sciences stock opened at $144.99 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $140.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $126.87. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 12-month low of $93.37 and a 12-month high of $157.29. The company has a market capitalization of $179.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98.

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

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is an increase from Gilead Sciences's previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Gilead Sciences's payout ratio is 46.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GILD has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America set a $162.00 price target on Gilead Sciences and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wolfe Research raised their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $157.62.

Insider Activity

In other Gilead Sciences news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.43, for a total value of $463,290.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 167,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $25,910,110.97. This represents a 1.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 120,288 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,577,278.72. This trade represents a 18.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 309,280 shares of company stock valued at $43,935,470 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

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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