13,549 Shares in Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD Bought by WealthShield Partners LLC

WealthShield Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 13,549 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,712,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,887 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $477,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 7,724 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $948,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Davidson Trust Co. increased its position in Gilead Sciences by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Davidson Trust Co. now owns 1,879 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $262,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC increased its position in Gilead Sciences by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 6,619 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $812,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 30.2% during the 1st quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 328 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:GILD opened at $146.12 on Friday. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 52 week low of $108.46 and a 52 week high of $157.29. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $131.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $136.59. The company has a market cap of $181.18 billion, a P/E ratio of -54.73 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last released 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. The company had revenue of $7.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.40 billion. Gilead Sciences had a negative return on equity of 2.11% and a negative net margin of 10.64%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.01 EPS. Research analysts predict that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -0.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is presently -122.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Gilead Sciences news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.36, for a total value of $415,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 165,646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,918,780.56. This trade represents a 1.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 stock was 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 $1,459,771.32. The trade was a 33.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 87,000 shares of company stock worth $11,562,960. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays decreased their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. HSBC raised Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $133.00 to $155.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 27th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lowered their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $170.00 to $167.00 in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Twenty-four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $158.04.

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.