Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Gilead Sciences from “hold” to “buy,” adding to a generally positive analyst outlook on the stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive overall: 26 analysts rate GILD a Buy, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $159.04.
• Gilead recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting $2.03 EPS versus $1.91 expected and revenue of $6.96 billion, while the stock traded down to $129.83 in Friday trading.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Sunday.

GILD has been the subject of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Gilead Sciences from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $122.00 to $120.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $157.00 to $156.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Monday, July 6th. Twenty-six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $159.04.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

GILD traded down $5.01 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $129.83. 5,934,235 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,886,756. Gilead Sciences has a 1-year low of $107.75 and a 1-year high of $157.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $161.19 billion, a PE ratio of 17.69 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.97 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The business's 50-day moving average price is $129.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $134.96.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.91 by $0.12. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 48.19%. The business had revenue of $6.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.81 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at -1.050--0.650 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Gilead Sciences will post -0.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Gilead Sciences

In related news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.29, for a total value of $3,676,120.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 125,779 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,513,524.91. This trade represents a 18.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.46, for a total transaction of $1,971,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 83,000 shares of company stock worth $10,824,500 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in GILD. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 during the period. Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC increased its position in Gilead Sciences by 60.0% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 83.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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