Royal Bank Of Canada Upgrades Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) to Moderate Buy

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Gilead Sciences from hold to moderate buy, adding to a broadly bullish analyst stance on the stock.
• Other firms have also been raising expectations, with several recent price-target increases; overall, 26 analysts rate GILD a Buy and the consensus rating is Moderate Buy with an average target price of $156.93.
• Gilead’s latest quarter beat estimates, reporting $2.03 EPS on $6.96 billion in revenue, while insiders recently sold shares and the stock traded around $131.10, below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on GILD. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their target price on Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $115.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. TD Cowen increased their target price on Gilead Sciences from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Maxim Group raised Gilead Sciences from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $165.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $156.93.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

GILD stock opened at $131.10 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $135.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $134.26. The firm has a market cap of $162.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.86 and a beta of 0.31. Gilead Sciences has a 1 year low of $104.46 and a 1 year high of $157.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a current ratio of 1.97.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.12. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 48.19%. The company had revenue of $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.81 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at -1.050--0.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Gilead Sciences will post -0.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 stock was sold at an average price of $131.29, for a total value of $3,676,120.00. Following the sale, the insider 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.27, for a total value of $396,810.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 173,191 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,907,973.57. This trade represents a 1.70% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 53,000 shares of company stock valued at $7,075,670. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Gilead Sciences

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GILD. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in Gilead Sciences by 71.4% in the 4th quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 204 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC increased its position in Gilead Sciences by 60.0% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the period. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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