Westport Asset Management Inc. Acquires Shares of 10,000 Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Key Points

• Westport Asset Management acquired 10,000 Gilead Sciences shares valued at approximately $1.26 million, while institutional investors collectively own 83.67% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with 24 Buy ratings, five Holds, a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, and an average price target of $158.04.
• Gilead reported quarterly revenue of $7.8 billion, up 10.6% year over year and above expectations, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.82, representing a 2.2% yield.

Westport Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 10,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock, valued at approximately $1,263,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in GILD. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 71.4% during the 4th quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 204 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 60.0% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GILD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Truist Financial cut their target price on Gilead Sciences from $157.00 to $156.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wall Street Zen raised Gilead Sciences from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Gilead Sciences from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $170.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $158.04.

Gilead Sciences Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:GILD opened at $147.60 on Thursday. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 1 year low of $108.46 and a 1 year high of $157.29. The company has a market capitalization of $183.02 billion, a PE ratio of -55.28 and a beta of 0.32. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $131.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $136.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($6.75) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($7.25) by $0.50. The company had revenue of $7.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.40 billion. Gilead Sciences had a negative return on equity of 2.11% and a negative net margin of 10.64%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.01 EPS. Analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -0.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Gilead Sciences's payout ratio is currently -122.85%.

More Gilead Sciences News

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital reaffirmed its Buy rating on Gilead, supporting the bullish view that the company’s recent momentum can continue. BMO Capital reaffirms Buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised estimates for third-quarter 2026 EPS to $1.93 from $1.84, fourth-quarter 2026 EPS to $2.14 from $2.07, and full-year 2027 EPS to $9.30 from $9.11. It also lifted estimates for parts of 2027, indicating improving expectations for near-term earnings. Gilead Sciences analyst estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Investors remain focused on Gilead’s expanding HIV portfolio. Biktarvy continues to anchor sales, while Yeztugo and additional pipeline programs could create new treatment and prevention opportunities. The company’s latest reported revenue also increased 10.6% year over year to $7.8 billion, exceeding expectations. Gilead's expanding HIV portfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead’s quarterly dividend of $0.82, equivalent to $3.28 annually, provides ongoing income support and reinforces its appeal to defensive and healthcare-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks reduced estimates for first-quarter 2028 EPS to $2.14 from $2.21, second-quarter 2028 EPS to $2.27 from $2.33, and full-year 2028 EPS to $9.58 from $10.00. These cuts temper the otherwise positive near-term revisions and suggest some uncertainty about longer-term growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Commercial Officer Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares, while CFO Andrew Dickinson sold 3,000 shares. Both transactions were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, limiting their significance, but the sales may modestly weigh on sentiment.

Insider Buying and Selling at Gilead Sciences

In related news, CEO Daniel Patrick O'day sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.31, for a total value of $1,954,650.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 592,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,160,851.23. This represents a 2.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was 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 directly owned 118,234 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,273,727.76. This represents a 19.15% 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 have sold a total of 82,000 shares of company stock worth $10,837,860 over the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.

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