Johanna Mercier Sells 28,000 Shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Stock

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.64, for a total value of $3,853,920.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 118,234 shares in the company, valued at $16,273,727.76. This represents a 19.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Johanna Mercier also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, June 15th, Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total value of $371,760.00.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

NASDAQ:GILD opened at $147.60 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $131.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $136.51. The company has a market cap of $183.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -55.28 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.27. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $108.46 and a fifty-two week high of $157.29.

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. Gilead Sciences had a negative return on equity of 2.11% and a negative net margin of 10.64%.The company had revenue of $7.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.01 EPS. Gilead Sciences’s quarterly revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -0.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Dividend Announcement

The company 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 $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -122.85%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Gilead Sciences from $157.00 to $156.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group decreased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $161.00 to $150.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $158.04.

Institutional Trading of Gilead Sciences

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GILD. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 1.8% in the 4th 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. boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 0.9% during the 4th 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 period. Davidson Trust Co. grew its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Davidson Trust Co. now owns 1,879 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. 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. increased its position in Gilead Sciences by 30.2% in 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 period. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.