Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD Shares Bought by Banco Santander S.A.

Banco Santander S.A. grew its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 96.9% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 261,844 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 128,848 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A.’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $32,139,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of GILD. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Financial Consulate Inc. raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 85.8% during the 4th quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. now owns 236 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 54.8% during the 4th quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 243 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $157.00 price objective (up from $155.00) on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $175.00 to $168.00 in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Barclays assumed coverage on Gilead Sciences in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Gilead Sciences from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Leerink Partners lowered their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $148.00 to $146.00 in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Twenty-five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $156.93.

Gilead Sciences News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Gilead and Merck reported positive topline Phase 3 results for their once-weekly oral HIV regimen, a potentially important catalyst for Gilead’s HIV franchise and long-term growth. Is Gilead (GILD) One of the Top Large Cap Value Stocks to Buy Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reiterated a Buy view on Gilead, and unusual call option activity suggests traders are positioning for upside ahead of additional catalysts. Gilead Sciences (GILD) Gets a Buy from Bernstein
• Positive Sentiment: The company advanced a Phase 2 study of denikitug in difficult-to-treat colorectal cancer, adding another pipeline readout that could broaden Gilead’s oncology prospects. Gilead Advances Denikitug Trial in Tough-to-Treat Colorectal Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead is donating remdesivir to Uganda to support Ebola response efforts, reinforcing the company’s reputation in infectious disease care and public-health leadership. Gilead Mobilizes Rapid Donation of Remdesivir to Support Ebola Response, Building on Decade-Long Commitment to Outbreak Relief
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead and the Gilead Foundation announced about $3 million in funding with the National AIDS Memorial for HIV/AIDS education and leadership initiatives, a brand-building effort with limited near-term earnings impact. National AIDS Memorial and the Gilead Foundation Launch Major Investment to Expand HIV/AIDS Education and Community Leadership
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group slightly lowered its FY2026 earnings estimate for Gilead, but the revision was small and stays close to the broader loss expectations already in place. Gilead Advances Denikitug Trial in Tough-to-Treat Colorectal Cancer
• Negative Sentiment: Recent commentary suggests Gilead’s stock has pulled back from its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating some short-term technical pressure despite the positive pipeline news.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:GILD opened at $125.59 on Friday. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 12 month low of $104.46 and a 12 month high of $157.29. The business has a 50-day moving average of $133.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $134.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.97 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $155.93 billion, a PE ratio of 17.11 and a beta of 0.31.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.12. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 30.99% and a return on equity of 48.19%. The firm had revenue of $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.81 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at -1.050–0.650 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -0.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Gilead Sciences’s payout ratio is currently 44.69%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.29, for a total value of $3,676,120.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 125,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,513,524.91. This represents a 18.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.46, for a total transaction of $1,971,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 617,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $81,185,357.82. This trade represents a 2.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 68,000 shares of company stock worth $9,047,570 in the last quarter. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.