Dodge & Cox Trims Stock Position in Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Key Points

• Dodge & Cox trimmed its stake in Gilead by 2.2% in Q3, selling 685,191 shares and now holds 30,133,131 shares (about 2.43% of Gilead), valued at roughly $3.34 billion and making Gilead its 17th-largest holding.
• Analyst optimism has picked up—several firms raised price targets (e.g., Daiwa to $161, Wolfe to $170, Oppenheimer to $165), and the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $157.62.
• Earnings and payout update: Gilead beat Q results (EPS $1.86 vs. $1.83 est.; revenue $7.93B vs. $7.68B), set FY2026 guidance of $8.45–$8.85 EPS, and raised the quarterly dividend to $0.82 (annualized $3.28, ~2.3% yield).

Dodge & Cox decreased its stake in Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD - Free Report) by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,133,131 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after selling 685,191 shares during the period. Gilead Sciences accounts for 1.8% of Dodge & Cox's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Dodge & Cox owned about 2.43% of Gilead Sciences worth $3,344,778,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute purchased a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter worth about $30,000. MTM Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 176.0% during the third quarter. MTM Investment Management LLC now owns 276 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 58.7% in the 3rd quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 319 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on GILD. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price target on Gilead Sciences from $129.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Wolfe Research boosted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Leerink Partners raised their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $146.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $128.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $157.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Gilead Sciences news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.44, for a total value 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.43, for a total transaction of $463,290.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 167,779 shares in the company, valued at $25,910,110.97. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 90 days. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting 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 Stock Down 0.2%

GILD stock opened at $144.99 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $179.99 billion, a PE ratio of 21.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a fifty day moving average of $140.62 and a 200-day moving average of $126.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 1.55. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a one year low of $93.37 and a one year high of $157.29.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 28.90% and a return on equity of 49.46%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.90 earnings per share. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

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

Gilead Sciences Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.