Zacks Research Raises Earnings Estimates for Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) – Analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2027 earnings per share estimates for Gilead Sciences in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, September 1st. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings of $2.09 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $2.08. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Gilead Sciences’ current full-year earnings is ($0.47) per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Gilead Sciences’ Q2 2027 earnings at $2.24 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.43 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.60 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $9.36 EPS.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($6.75) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($7.25) by $0.50. Gilead Sciences had a negative net margin of 10.64% and a negative return on equity of 2.11%. The firm had revenue of $7.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.01 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis.

GILD has been the topic of several other reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings cut Gilead Sciences from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Gilead Sciences from $120.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group reduced their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $161.00 to $150.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $158.04.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

Shares of Gilead Sciences stock opened at $149.92 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $135.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $136.46. Gilead Sciences has a 12-month low of $108.46 and a 12-month high of $157.29. The firm has a market cap of $185.89 billion, a PE ratio of -56.15 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new position in Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new position in Gilead Sciences during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 71.4% in the fourth quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 204 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Gilead Sciences

In other Gilead Sciences news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.64, for a total value of $3,853,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 118,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,273,727.76. This represents a 19.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.02, for a total transaction of $725,100.00. Following the sale, the director owned 10,066 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,459,771.32. This trade represents a 33.19% 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 three months, insiders have sold 90,000 shares of company stock worth $12,266,220. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Gilead Sciences Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is -122.85%.

Key Stories Impacting Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval expands HIV portfolio: The FDA approved Bixlenvo, Gilead’s once-daily, single-tablet regimen for virologically suppressed adults with HIV. The treatment could broaden Gilead’s offerings, particularly among underserved patients, and create an additional source of HIV revenue. FDA Approves Gilead’s New Single Tablet HIV Regimen
• Positive Sentiment: Strong Buy ranking reinforces earnings optimism: Zacks upgraded Gilead to a Rank #1, or Strong Buy, citing improving earnings prospects. The upgrade may attract additional investor interest. Gilead Upgraded to Strong Buy
• Positive Sentiment: 2027 earnings estimates moved higher: Zacks raised its forecasts for every quarter in 2027 by $0.01 to $0.02 per share and increased its full-year estimate to $9.36 from $9.30. Erste Group also lifted its FY2027 estimate to $9.86 from $9.57. Although the revisions are modest, they indicate improving analyst expectations for Gilead’s earnings trajectory.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst support comes with limitations: Wall Street’s average recommendation remains favorable, but the accompanying analysis notes that sell-side ratings can be overly optimistic and may have limited predictive value. Investors will likely look for evidence that Bixlenvo gains meaningful market adoption.
• Neutral Sentiment: Stock near the upper end of its range: GILD is trading well above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and close to its 52-week high, suggesting that considerable optimism may already be reflected in the valuation. This could limit near-term upside if product launches or earnings fail to exceed expectations.

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.