Swiss National Bank Sells 185,400 Shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Swiss National Bank lessened its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 5.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 3,400,200 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 185,400 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $417,341,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Financial Consulate Inc. boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 85.8% during the fourth quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. now owns 236 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 54.8% during the fourth quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 243 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new position in Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on GILD. Leerink Partners cut their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $148.00 to $146.00 in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $175.00 to $168.00 in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $157.00 price objective (up from $155.00) on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Twenty-five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $156.93.

Insider Activity at Gilead Sciences

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 shares were sold at an average price of $131.29, for a total value of $3,676,120.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 125,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,513,524.91. This trade represents a 18.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 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 shares were sold at an average price of $132.27, for a total transaction of $396,810.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 173,191 shares in the company, valued at $22,907,973.57. This represents a 1.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 68,000 shares of company stock valued at $9,047,570 over the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein initiated/maintained a Buy view on Gilead, adding to the bullish analyst sentiment around the stock. Gilead Sciences (GILD) Gets a Buy from Bernstein
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead and Merck reported positive topline Phase 3 results for their once-weekly oral HIV regimen (islatravir + lenacapavir), which strengthens the company’s growth story and HIV franchise outlook. Is Gilead (GILD) One of the Top Large Cap Value Stocks to Buy Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead’s HIV business continues to get attention for momentum from Biktarvy, Descovy, and Yeztugo, with late-stage pipeline progress supporting the long-term earnings outlook. Can Gilead Sciences HIV Franchise Drive Long-Term Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent Phase 3 IDEAL study results for Livdelzi in primary biliary cholangitis also reinforced confidence in Gilead’s pipeline development. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD): a Top Deep Value Stock Making Progress on Pipeline Development
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead was cited in broader articles about pharma/biotech M&A and healthcare investing, which may keep the stock on traders’ radar but does not directly change fundamentals. Pharma and Biotech M&A Boom Accelerates as Companies Expand Pipelines
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity suggests traders are positioning for more upside, though it is not a fundamental development.
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead Foundation’s ~$3 million HIV/AIDS education commitment is positive for brand and ESG perception, but the financial impact is likely limited. National AIDS Memorial and the Gilead Foundation Launch Major Investment to Expand HIV/AIDS Education and Community Leadership

Gilead Sciences Trading Up 3.6%

Shares of GILD opened at $125.87 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $133.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $134.34. The company has a market capitalization of $156.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.15 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.97 and a quick ratio of 1.77. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 1-year low of $104.46 and a 1-year high of $157.29.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last announced its earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $6.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.91 billion. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 48.19%. Gilead Sciences’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.81 earnings per share. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at -1.050–0.650 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -0.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 29th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.69%.

Gilead Sciences 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.