Insider Selling: Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Insider Sells $422,880.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 Gilead shares on April 15 at $140.96 for $422,880 under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan, trimming her position to 128,779 shares (a 2.28% decrease).
• Pattern of disposals: Mercier also sold 3,000 shares on March 16 and 28,000 shares on Feb 17, meaning her recent transactions total about $5.18 million in proceeds.
• Company context: Gilead beat EPS estimates for the quarter, raised its quarterly dividend to $0.82, set FY2026 EPS guidance of $8.45–$8.85, and trades around $138.55 with a market cap near $172 billion and a consensus "Moderate Buy" target of $156.77.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) insider Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.96, for a total value of $422,880.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 128,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,152,687.84. The trade was a 2.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Johanna Mercier also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, March 16th, Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.23, for a total value of $432,690.00.
• On Tuesday, February 17th, Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.44, for a total value of $4,324,320.00.

Gilead Sciences Trading Down 0.9%

NASDAQ GILD traded down $1.22 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $138.55. 3,431,818 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,915,050. The business's 50 day moving average is $144.86 and its 200-day moving average is $131.05. 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 12-month low of $93.37 and a 12-month high of $157.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $171.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.39.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 49.46% and a net margin of 28.90%.The company had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.90 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. This is an increase from Gilead Sciences's previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. Gilead Sciences's payout ratio is 48.45%.

Key Headlines Impacting Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo maintained a buy rating on Gilead, reaffirming confidence in the company’s fundamentals and longer‑term outlook. Wells Fargo Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Gilead Sciences (GILD)
• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. government expanded a partnership with Gilead and The Global Fund to supply 1 million doses of lenacapavir (LEN) to help reduce HIV transmission — a material public‑health win that supports future demand and reputation. US-Led Partnership To Provide 1 Mln Lenacapavir To Help End HIV Transmission
• Positive Sentiment: A Citi analyst said GILD’s stock is likely to rise, adding another buy‑side voice that could support investor sentiment if near‑term uncertainties ease. Gilead Sciences NASDAQ: GILD Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary and valuation pieces highlight that Gilead has produced strong multi‑year returns and now draws attention on valuation metrics and its large biopharma revenue base — useful context but not a near‑term catalyst. Gauging Gilead Sciences (GILD) Valuation After Strong Multi‑Year Shareholder Returns
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead has been a trending stock on some platforms and routine earnings timing/preview stories are circulating; these keep the name in focus but aren’t driving today’s move. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) Is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: RBC flagged that persistence (ongoing use) for Gilead’s recently launched HIV drug is weaker than expected nine months post‑launch — a direct demand/usage concern that likely pressured the stock. Gilead Sciences' HIV Drug Shows Weaker-Than-Expected Persistence Nine Months After Launch, RBC Says
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed Q1–Q4 and FY2026 EPS estimates in a batch of cuts, signaling analyst downward revisions that increase downside risk to near‑term earnings expectations. Zacks Research Lowers Gilead EPS Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Late‑session weakness in health‑care indices amplified selling pressure across names, contributing to Gilead’s decline despite company‑specific positives. Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Decline Late Afternoon

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 20.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 14,359 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,326,000 after purchasing an additional 2,450 shares during the period. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth $215,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 16.8% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,182 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $464,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 12.0% during the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 118,695 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $13,160,000 after purchasing an additional 12,705 shares during the period. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 18.6% during the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,296 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $516,000 after purchasing an additional 674 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.67% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GILD has been the topic of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $129.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Gilead Sciences from $118.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated an "outperform" rating and set a $160.00 price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $156.77.

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.

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