Candriam S.C.A. Acquires 110,559 Shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Candriam S.C.A. boosted its holdings in Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 7.3% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,620,397 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 110,559 shares during the period. Gilead Sciences makes up 0.9% of Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $179,864,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GILD. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 20.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 14,359 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,326,000 after buying an additional 2,450 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter valued at about $215,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 16.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,182 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $464,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in Gilead Sciences by 12.5% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,497 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $499,000 after acquiring an additional 499 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PDS Planning Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 11.4% during the second quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 5,790 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $642,000 after acquiring an additional 592 shares during the period. 83.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Gilead Sciences news, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total value 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 trade represents a 35.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.31, for a total transaction of $372,930.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 103,221 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,831,402.51. The trade was a 2.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 373,037 shares of company stock valued at $50,731,512. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

GILD opened at $152.50 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.45. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 52-week low of $93.37 and a 52-week high of $153.13. The firm has a market cap of $189.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.36. The business’s fifty day moving average is $127.38 and its 200-day moving average is $121.04.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

GILD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Gilead Sciences from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $133.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Gilead Sciences presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $136.73.

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.