Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Upgraded at Barclays

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) was upgraded by investment analysts at Barclays to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group raised their price target on Gilead Sciences from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $145.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $103.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Gilead Sciences currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.44.

Gilead Sciences Trading Up 0.2%

GILD opened at $151.40 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market cap of $187.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.36. Gilead Sciences has a 12 month low of $93.37 and a 12 month high of $157.29. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $133.47 and a 200-day moving average price of $123.63.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Gilead Sciences

In related news, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 115,640 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $17,346,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 613,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $92,086,800. This trade represents a 15.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total transaction of $617,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,101,620. This represents a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 319,891 shares of company stock valued at $45,091,556 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Gilead Sciences

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,617,152,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 397.6% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 6,748,403 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $748,147,000 after purchasing an additional 5,392,191 shares during the period. Boston Partners purchased a new stake in Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth $517,808,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Gilead Sciences by 3,763.8% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 4,223,304 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $518,368,000 after buying an additional 4,113,999 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 33.5% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 13,521,228 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,499,098,000 after buying an additional 3,394,330 shares in the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Gilead Sciences News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and firm guidance: Gilead reported $1.86 EPS vs. $1.83 est. and $7.93B revenue (above estimates) and set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $8.45–$8.85 — a catalyst for re-rating. Analyst Reactions Post‑Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target to $165 and kept a Buy rating, adding analyst-driven upside (~mid-single digits vs. current levels). Argus PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho lifted its target to $170 and kept an Outperform rating, supporting a higher consensus valuation and momentum for buy‑side flows. Mizuho PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays initiated coverage with an Equal‑Weight rating and $155 target — neither a strong buy nor a sell signal, but it provides fresh institutional coverage. Barclays Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader analyst and media coverage (Zacks, Yahoo, Benzinga retrospectives) is keeping GILD in focus for retail/institutional investors; these pieces inform positioning but are mixed in directional impact. Zacks Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data in the feed looks anomalous/zeroed out and provides no clear sell pressure signal at present (data likely noisy).
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Andrew Dickinson sold 3,000 shares (~$154.43 avg price) — a small amount but negative for sentiment when combined with other insider moves. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Material insider sale: Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares (~$154.44 avg), an ~18.9% reduction in her holding — a larger ticket that can weigh on investor confidence. Mercier Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: “Time to take profits” / rating downgrade commentary is circulating, which can trigger short‑term selling from momentum traders. Seeking Alpha Take‑Profits Piece

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.