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

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Gilead Sciences from “Hold” to “Buy.” Across analysts, the stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $158.04.
• Gilead shares opened at $138.36, compared with a 12-month range of $108.46 to $157.29, while the company’s market capitalization stood at approximately $171.56 billion.
• The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with revenue of $7.80 billion versus the $7.40 billion consensus estimate and year-over-year growth of 10.6%, although insiders sold 51,000 shares worth about $6.57 million during the quarter.

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

A number of other analysts also recently commented on GILD. Truist Financial decreased 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. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $170.00 to $167.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Gilead Sciences presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $158.04.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

GILD stock opened at $138.36 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $130.11 and a 200-day moving average of $136.45. The company has a market cap of $171.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -51.82 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. Gilead Sciences has a 12-month low of $108.46 and a 12-month high of $157.29.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Gilead Sciences news, CEO Daniel Patrick O'day sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.31, for a total value of $1,954,650.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 592,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,160,851.23. This represents a 2.47% decrease in their position. 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 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $371,760.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 124,234 shares in the company, valued at $15,395,077.28. This represents a 2.36% 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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 51,000 shares of company stock worth $6,568,860. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Gilead Sciences in the 2nd quarter valued at $15,393,785,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth $2,617,152,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter worth $1,316,606,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the second quarter valued at $918,387,000. Finally, Boston Partners purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter valued at $517,808,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.67% of the company's stock.

Gilead Sciences News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Appeals court ruling protects Gilead’s distribution channels. A U.S. appeals court upheld an injunction preventing alternative funding programs and related businesses from importing Gilead medications overseas. The decision could reduce the size of the alternative funding industry and help protect Gilead’s pricing, sales channels and patient-assistance economics. Court rules companies can't import Gilead medications from overseas in blow to AFP health programs
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 growth highlighted continued commercial momentum. Gilead’s HIV franchise led year-over-year sales growth, with Biktarvy and PrEP performing particularly well. Quarterly PrEP sales reportedly doubled to more than $1 billion, while Trodelvy, Livdelzi and progress in oncology and liver disease added to the growth outlook. 5 Must-Read Analyst Questions From Gilead Sciences’s Q2 Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: AI collaboration strengthens the oncology pipeline. Gilead partnered with Nucleai to use AI-powered tissue analytics in its antibody-drug-conjugate programs. The technology is intended to accelerate biomarker discovery and improve precision-oncology development. Gilead Sciences Expands ADC Research With AI Tissue Analytics
• Positive Sentiment: Merck partnership offers longer-term growth potential. Recent clinical and regulatory progress involving Gilead and Merck’s collaboration reinforces the possibility that the partnership could produce meaningful future growth in areas such as oncology and infectious disease. Could Merck and Gilead’s Partnership Create the Next Big Pharma Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and investors continue to debate whether Gilead remains attractively valued after its strong multiyear performance. High call-option activity signals bullish positioning but does not guarantee sustained gains.
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst reduced the FY2026 EPS forecast, potentially reflecting concerns about earnings normalization, expenses or pipeline investment. The revision may limit near-term upside despite Gilead’s solid revenue trends. FY2026 EPS Forecast for Gilead Sciences Reduced by Analyst

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.

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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