Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 49,215 Shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Russell Investments Group Ltd. cut its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,211,272 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 49,215 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.10% of Gilead Sciences worth $134,700,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of GILD. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences in the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. MTM Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 176.0% during the 3rd quarter. MTM Investment Management LLC now owns 276 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new stake in Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 58.7% during the 3rd quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 319 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 118 shares during the period. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Gilead Sciences Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ GILD opened at $146.63 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $138.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $126.06. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 12 month low of $93.37 and a 12 month high of $157.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $182.03 billion, a PE ratio of 21.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.36.

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

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Gilead Sciences’s payout ratio is presently 46.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on GILD shares. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Gilead Sciences from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Argus raised their target price on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $160.00 price target on shares of Gilead Sciences 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, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $156.72.

Insider Transactions at Gilead Sciences

In other Gilead Sciences news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.44, for a total transaction of $4,324,320.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 120,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,577,278.72. This represents a 18.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.43, for a total value of $463,290.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 167,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,910,110.97. This represents a 1.76% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 309,280 shares of company stock valued at $43,935,470. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

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.