Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Raised to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on GILD. HSBC upgraded Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $133.00 to $155.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 27th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Gilead Sciences from $157.00 to $156.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Gilead Sciences from $120.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Maxim Group upgraded Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $165.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $158.04.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

Shares of GILD stock opened at $138.36 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $130.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $136.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.09. Gilead Sciences has a 1-year low of $108.46 and a 1-year high of $157.29. The firm has a market cap of $171.56 billion, a P/E ratio of -51.82 and a beta of 0.32.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($7.25) by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $7.80 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.40 billion. Gilead Sciences had a negative net margin of 10.64% and a negative return on equity of 2.11%. Gilead Sciences’s revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.01 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences will post -0.53 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.92, for a total transaction of $371,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 124,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,395,077.28. This represents a 2.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.40, for a total value of $376,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 171,646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,524,408.40. This represents a 1.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 51,000 shares of company stock valued at $6,568,860. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Magnolia Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the second quarter valued at about $382,000. Strategic Global Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Gilead Sciences in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,222,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the second quarter valued at approximately $263,215,000. Man Group plc purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter valued at approximately $156,055,000. Finally, Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter worth $502,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

More Gilead Sciences News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Appeals court ruling protects Gilead’s distribution channels. A U.S. appeals court upheld an injunction preventing alternative funding programs and related businesses from importing Gilead medications overseas. The decision could reduce the size of the alternative funding industry and help protect Gilead’s pricing, sales channels and patient-assistance economics. Court rules companies can’t import Gilead medications from overseas in blow to AFP health programs
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 growth highlighted continued commercial momentum. Gilead’s HIV franchise led year-over-year sales growth, with Biktarvy and PrEP performing particularly well. Quarterly PrEP sales reportedly doubled to more than $1 billion, while Trodelvy, Livdelzi and progress in oncology and liver disease added to the growth outlook. 5 Must-Read Analyst Questions From Gilead Sciences’s Q2 Earnings Call
• Positive Sentiment: AI collaboration strengthens the oncology pipeline. Gilead partnered with Nucleai to use AI-powered tissue analytics in its antibody-drug-conjugate programs. The technology is intended to accelerate biomarker discovery and improve precision-oncology development. Gilead Sciences Expands ADC Research With AI Tissue Analytics
• Positive Sentiment: Merck partnership offers longer-term growth potential. Recent clinical and regulatory progress involving Gilead and Merck’s collaboration reinforces the possibility that the partnership could produce meaningful future growth in areas such as oncology and infectious disease. Could Merck and Gilead’s Partnership Create the Next Big Pharma Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and investors continue to debate whether Gilead remains attractively valued after its strong multiyear performance. High call-option activity signals bullish positioning but does not guarantee sustained gains.
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst reduced the FY2026 EPS forecast, potentially reflecting concerns about earnings normalization, expenses or pipeline investment. The revision may limit near-term upside despite Gilead’s solid revenue trends. FY2026 EPS Forecast for Gilead Sciences Reduced by Analyst

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.