Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Rating Increased to Hold at Barclays

Barclays upgraded shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) to a hold rating in a report issued on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on GILD. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Gilead Sciences from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $128.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on Gilead Sciences from $145.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $155.44.

Gilead Sciences Stock Up 0.2%

Gilead Sciences stock opened at $151.40 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $133.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $123.63. Gilead Sciences has a twelve month low of $93.37 and a twelve month high of $157.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $187.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 49.46% and a net margin of 28.90%.The business had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.90 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue 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. As a group, research analysts expect that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. This is a positive change from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.45%.

Insider Transactions at Gilead Sciences

In other Gilead Sciences news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.31, for a total value of $372,930.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 150,503 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,709,027.93. This represents a 1.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 115,640 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $15,611,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 566,698 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $76,504,230. This represents a 16.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 319,891 shares of company stock valued at $45,091,556. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 11,508 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,412,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Cambient Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,122,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Hamilton Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Gilead Sciences by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Hamilton Wealth LLC now owns 38,367 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $4,709,000 after buying an additional 2,208 shares in the last quarter. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 302,669 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $37,150,000 after buying an additional 35,769 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and firm guidance: Gilead reported $1.86 EPS vs. $1.83 est. and $7.93B revenue (above estimates) and set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $8.45–$8.85 — a catalyst for re-rating. Analyst Reactions Post‑Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target to $165 and kept a Buy rating, adding analyst-driven upside (~mid-single digits vs. current levels). Argus PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho lifted its target to $170 and kept an Outperform rating, supporting a higher consensus valuation and momentum for buy‑side flows. Mizuho PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays initiated coverage with an Equal‑Weight rating and $155 target — neither a strong buy nor a sell signal, but it provides fresh institutional coverage. Barclays Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader analyst and media coverage (Zacks, Yahoo, Benzinga retrospectives) is keeping GILD in focus for retail/institutional investors; these pieces inform positioning but are mixed in directional impact. Zacks Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data in the feed looks anomalous/zeroed out and provides no clear sell pressure signal at present (data likely noisy).
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Andrew Dickinson sold 3,000 shares (~$154.43 avg price) — a small amount but negative for sentiment when combined with other insider moves. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Material insider sale: Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares (~$154.44 avg), an ~18.9% reduction in her holding — a larger ticket that can weigh on investor confidence. Mercier Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: “Time to take profits” / rating downgrade commentary is circulating, which can trigger short‑term selling from momentum traders. Seeking Alpha Take‑Profits Piece

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.