Zacks Research Weighs in on Gilead Sciences FY2026 Earnings

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research lifted their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Gilead Sciences in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, August 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the biopharmaceutical company will earn ($0.65) per share for the year, up from their prior estimate of ($1.05). The consensus estimate for Gilead Sciences’ current full-year earnings is ($0.53) per share.

GILD has been the subject of a number of other reports. Maxim Group upgraded Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $165.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Rothschild & Co Redburn reduced their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $170.00 to $167.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $157.00 to $156.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Twenty-four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $158.04.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

NASDAQ:GILD opened at $147.60 on Thursday. Gilead Sciences has a 52 week low of $108.46 and a 52 week high of $157.29. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $131.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $136.51. The company has a market capitalization of $183.02 billion, a P/E ratio of -55.28 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($6.75) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($7.25) by $0.50. The company had revenue of $7.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.01 earnings per share.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of GILD. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 71.4% during the fourth quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 204 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Gilead Sciences

In other Gilead Sciences news, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.31, for a total value of $1,954,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 592,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $77,160,851.23. This trade represents a 2.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.64, for a total transaction of $3,853,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 118,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,273,727.76. This trade represents a 19.15% 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. Insiders sold 82,000 shares of company stock valued at $10,837,860 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Gilead Sciences Announces Dividend

The firm 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 yield of 2.2%. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is -122.85%.

More Gilead Sciences News

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital reaffirmed its Buy rating on Gilead, supporting the bullish view that the company’s recent momentum can continue. BMO Capital reaffirms Buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised estimates for third-quarter 2026 EPS to $1.93 from $1.84, fourth-quarter 2026 EPS to $2.14 from $2.07, and full-year 2027 EPS to $9.30 from $9.11. It also lifted estimates for parts of 2027, indicating improving expectations for near-term earnings. Gilead Sciences analyst estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Investors remain focused on Gilead’s expanding HIV portfolio. Biktarvy continues to anchor sales, while Yeztugo and additional pipeline programs could create new treatment and prevention opportunities. The company’s latest reported revenue also increased 10.6% year over year to $7.8 billion, exceeding expectations. Gilead’s expanding HIV portfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead’s quarterly dividend of $0.82, equivalent to $3.28 annually, provides ongoing income support and reinforces its appeal to defensive and healthcare-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks reduced estimates for first-quarter 2028 EPS to $2.14 from $2.21, second-quarter 2028 EPS to $2.27 from $2.33, and full-year 2028 EPS to $9.58 from $10.00. These cuts temper the otherwise positive near-term revisions and suggest some uncertainty about longer-term growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Commercial Officer Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares, while CFO Andrew Dickinson sold 3,000 shares. Both transactions were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, limiting their significance, but the sales may modestly weigh on sentiment.

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.