Ascent Group LLC Sells 7,256 Shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Key Points

• Ascent Group reduced its Gilead stake by 11.5% in the third quarter, selling 7,256 shares and retaining 56,100 shares valued at about $8.36 million.
• Gilead reported quarterly EPS of $2.55, beating estimates of $2.19, while revenue rose 6.8% year over year to $8.30 billion.
• Insiders sold 126,881 shares worth about $19.25 million over the past 90 days; the CEO’s sale was made under a pre-arranged trading plan.

Ascent Group LLC cut its stake in Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD - Free Report) by 11.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 56,100 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after selling 7,256 shares during the quarter. Ascent Group LLC's holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $8,362,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a new position in 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 about $55,754,000. Groupe la Francaise increased its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 30.9% during the second quarter. Groupe la Francaise now owns 49,627 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $6,270,000 after purchasing an additional 11,712 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 3.6% during the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 292,295 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $36,929,000 after purchasing an additional 10,206 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter worth about $6,251,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.67% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.64, for a total value of $3,853,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 118,234 shares in the company, valued at $16,273,727.76. This trade represents a 19.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Daniel O'Day sold 15,881 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.25, for a total value of $2,783,145.25. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 566,683 shares in the company, valued at $99,311,195.75. This represents a 2.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 126,881 shares of company stock worth $19,252,455. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: DZ Bank raised its price target on Gilead to $191 from $167, signaling increased confidence in the stock’s prospects. DZ Bank Adjusts Price Target on Gilead Sciences to $191 From $167
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead and its Kite subsidiary plan 23 presentations, including seven oral presentations, at the December ASH meeting. The breadth of planned data across the pipeline and portfolio may draw investor attention to potential growth drivers. Gilead and Kite Advance Leadership With New Data Across Pipeline and Portfolio at ASH 2026
• Positive Sentiment: BioNTech and Gilead are advancing a global Phase 3 trial combining BioNTech’s pumitamig with Gilead’s cancer drug Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan) for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The collaboration expands the potential reach of Gilead’s oncology portfolio, though trial results remain to come. BioNTech Enters First Global Phase 3 Trial for New Breast Cancer Combo
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead’s GS-1206 cancer study continues to advance, but investors are still waiting for early efficacy signals; the update did not provide results that establish the drug’s potential. Gilead’s GS-1206 Cancer Trial Advances as Investors Watch for Early Signals
• Negative Sentiment: Put-option purchases were unusually elevated, which may reflect increased hedging or bearish positioning, though options activity alone does not confirm a negative outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Daniel O’Day disclosed recent stock sales under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The planned nature of the sales may limit their significance, but insider selling can still weigh on sentiment.

Gilead Sciences Stock Up 4.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:GILD opened at $174.48 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $216.41 billion, a PE ratio of -55.22 and a beta of 0.35. The firm's 50-day moving average is $152.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $140.52. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 1 year low of $116.88 and a 1 year high of $175.65.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $8.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.81 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.47 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -1.07 EPS for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 15th. Gilead Sciences's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -103.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on GILD shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Gilead Sciences from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research cut Gilead Sciences from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. HSBC raised their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $126.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note 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 MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $170.15.

Gilead Sciences Profile

Gilead Sciences, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases. The company is best known for its HIV treatments, including Biktarvy, Descovy, Genvoya and Truvada, as well as therapies for chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Its portfolio also includes Veklury (remdesivir), an antiviral treatment for COVID-19.

Gilead has expanded into oncology and cell therapy through products such as Trodelvy and the CAR T-cell therapies Yescarta and Tecartus, which are developed and marketed through its Kite subsidiary.

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