Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Research Coverage Started at Barclays

Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) in a research report report published on Friday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm issued an equal weight rating and a $155.00 target price on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on GILD. Bank of America set a $162.00 price objective on Gilead Sciences and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $171.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $155.44.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

Shares of GILD opened at $151.40 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. 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 P/E ratio of 22.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a 50 day moving average of $133.47 and a 200-day moving average of $123.81.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last announced its 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. The business had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 28.90% and a return on equity of 49.46%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.90 earnings per share. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Gilead Sciences’s payout ratio is 46.68%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Gilead Sciences news, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 115,640 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 566,698 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $76,504,230. The trade was a 16.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.44, for a total transaction of $4,324,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 120,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,577,278.72. This represents a 18.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 319,891 shares of company stock valued at $45,091,556. 0.27% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. GoalVest Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 7,566.7% during the second quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 230 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. Corundum Trust Company INC acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about 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

Gilead Sciences Company Profile

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.