ASO GROUP Ltd Acquires New Holdings in Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

ASO GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 10,860 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock, valued at approximately $1,333,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GILD. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter valued at about $2,617,152,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 3,763.8% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,223,304 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $518,368,000 after purchasing an additional 4,113,999 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 121,097,336 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $14,863,487,000 after purchasing an additional 2,113,692 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 154.3% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,089,283 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $342,910,000 after purchasing an additional 1,874,508 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 12.0% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 15,139,681 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,680,505,000 after purchasing an additional 1,618,453 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.67% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on GILD shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Gilead Sciences from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Gilead Sciences in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $180.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $175.00 to $168.00 in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Twenty-five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $156.93.

Insider Transactions at Gilead Sciences

In other news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.29, for a total value of $3,676,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 125,779 shares in the company, valued at $16,513,524.91. This trade represents a 18.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale 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, CEO Daniel Patrick O'day sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.46, for a total value of $1,971,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 617,567 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $81,185,357.82. The trade was a 2.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 68,000 shares of company stock worth $9,047,570 over the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Gilead Sciences News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein initiated/maintained a Buy view on Gilead, adding to the bullish analyst sentiment around the stock. Gilead Sciences (GILD) Gets a Buy from Bernstein
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead and Merck reported positive topline Phase 3 results for their once-weekly oral HIV regimen (islatravir + lenacapavir), which strengthens the company’s growth story and HIV franchise outlook. Is Gilead (GILD) One of the Top Large Cap Value Stocks to Buy Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead’s HIV business continues to get attention for momentum from Biktarvy, Descovy, and Yeztugo, with late-stage pipeline progress supporting the long-term earnings outlook. Can Gilead Sciences HIV Franchise Drive Long-Term Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent Phase 3 IDEAL study results for Livdelzi in primary biliary cholangitis also reinforced confidence in Gilead’s pipeline development. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD): a Top Deep Value Stock Making Progress on Pipeline Development
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead was cited in broader articles about pharma/biotech M&A and healthcare investing, which may keep the stock on traders’ radar but does not directly change fundamentals. Pharma and Biotech M&A Boom Accelerates as Companies Expand Pipelines
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity suggests traders are positioning for more upside, though it is not a fundamental development.
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead Foundation’s ~$3 million HIV/AIDS education commitment is positive for brand and ESG perception, but the financial impact is likely limited. National AIDS Memorial and the Gilead Foundation Launch Major Investment to Expand HIV/AIDS Education and Community Leadership

Gilead Sciences Trading Up 3.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:GILD opened at $125.87 on Friday. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 52-week low of $104.46 and a 52-week high of $157.29. The stock has a market cap of $156.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.15 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $133.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $134.34.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.91 by $0.12. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 48.19% and a net margin of 30.99%.The firm had revenue of $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.91 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.81 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at -1.050--0.650 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -0.79 EPS for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Gilead Sciences's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.69%.

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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