California Public Employees Retirement System Has $447.80 Million Stock Position in Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

California Public Employees Retirement System lowered its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 3.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,034,190 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 141,382 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $447,795,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Gilead Sciences by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 119,364,226 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $13,233,912,000 after purchasing an additional 1,893,401 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter valued at about $2,150,268,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 12.0% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 15,139,681 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,680,505,000 after buying an additional 1,618,453 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 18.2% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 10,467,411 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,167,221,000 after buying an additional 1,614,355 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 4.2% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 10,210,599 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,133,376,000 after buying an additional 414,454 shares during the period. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GILD has been the topic of several research reports. Argus boosted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Leerink Partners lifted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $146.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $129.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Bank of America set a $162.00 target price on Gilead Sciences and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $145.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $157.62.

Key Headlines Impacting Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism — Jefferies and other firms have initiated or reiterated positive coverage, highlighting Gilead’s strong HIV franchise, expanding oncology/cell therapy pipeline and long IP runway (through ~2036), which supports both income and growth narratives. How Renewed Wall Street Optimism Around HIV, Oncology And IP Runway At Gilead Sciences (GILD) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised near-term EPS estimates (Q1/Q2 and FY2027 upgrades reported), nudging earnings expectations higher — a constructive signal for investors focused on fundamentals. The Zacks Analyst Blog: Oracle, T‑Mobile, Gilead and C&F Financial
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call-option activity (130k+ calls) signals bullish positioning by traders, which can amplify upside if catalysts continue. (Market data)
• Positive Sentiment: Index and institutional flows — rising institutional focus amid Nasdaq‑100 dynamics can support demand for GILD shares from passive and quant funds. Gilead (NASDAQ:GILD) Institutional Focus Rises In Nasdaq 100 Index
• Neutral Sentiment: Acquisition rationale — coverage and analyst pieces discuss whether the ~$7.8B Arcellx buy strengthens Gilead’s cell‑therapy franchise amid declining cell therapy sales; the strategic case is positive but clinical/commercial risks remain. Will GILD’s Move to Acquire ACLX Boost Its Cell Therapy Franchise?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market context — broader investor flows into growth/tech vs. traditional defensives are affecting healthcare sector moves; this macro backdrop is neither uniquely positive nor negative for Gilead. Why Investors Aren’t Fleeing to Safe‑Haven Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Deal/legal risk — a law firm (Kahn Swick & Foti) is investigating Arcellx’s proposed sale to Gilead, citing concerns over price/process; shareholder litigation or regulatory scrutiny could delay or alter the transaction terms and is a near‑term overhang. Arcellx Investor Alert: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of Arcellx, Inc.

Gilead Sciences Trading Down 0.2%

GILD stock opened at $144.99 on Friday. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 1-year low of $93.37 and a 1-year high of $157.29. The firm has a market cap of $179.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.37. The business’s 50 day moving average is $140.62 and its 200-day moving average is $126.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 49.46% and a net margin of 28.90%.Gilead Sciences’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.90 EPS. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. This is an increase from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 115,640 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $15,611,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 566,698 shares in the company, valued at $76,504,230. This trade represents a 16.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total transaction of $617,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,101,620. This represents a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 309,280 shares of company stock valued at $43,935,470 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

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.