Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Insider Johanna Mercier Sells 3,000 Shares of Stock

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) insider Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.22, for a total transaction of $468,660.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 113,684 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,759,714.48. This trade represents a 2.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible 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 Tuesday, September 15th, Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.22, for a total transaction of $432,660.00.
• On Monday, August 17th, Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.64, for a total transaction of $3,853,920.00.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

GILD traded down $1.18 during trading on Friday, reaching $156.19. The stock had a trading volume of 7,762,254 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,823,515. The stock has a market cap of $193.67 billion, a PE ratio of -58.50 and a beta of 0.31. 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 one year low of $114.02 and a one year high of $160.51. The business has a 50-day moving average of $146.73 and a 200-day moving average of $137.15.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last issued its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $7.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.01 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -122.85%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on GILD shares. Zacks Research lowered shares of Gilead Sciences from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $165.00 to $163.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Gilead Sciences from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Leerink Partners downgraded shares of Gilead Sciences from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $146.00 to $127.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $159.33.

More Gilead Sciences News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Oncology pipeline strengthened: Gilead agreed to collaborate with Vir Biotechnology on next-generation T-cell engagers (TCEs) for solid tumors. Gilead will receive exclusive development and commercialization rights, while Vir contributes its immunology and antibody-engineering platform. The agreement covers three potential cancer therapies and could provide Vir up to approximately $1.74 billion in milestone payments, or about $1.9 billion including other deal components. The partnership gives Gilead access to a potentially important cancer-treatment technology and complements its earlier investment in TCEs through the acquisition of Ouro Medicines. Gilead and Vir forge $1.9bn pact to develop next-gen T-cell engagers
• Positive Sentiment: Defensive-sector rotation: Investors have been shifting toward large pharmaceutical companies as a technology-stock selloff increases demand for companies viewed as more defensive. Gilead, along with other major drugmakers, has been trading near record levels, helping reinforce positive momentum and investor interest. Big pharma stocks near all-time highs as tech selloff pushes investors toward safer bets
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Recent coverage highlights conflicting views on Gilead’s prospects. Increased searches and investor attention may support trading activity, but the reports do not identify a clear consensus change in earnings expectations or price targets. Analysts Have Conflicting Sentiments on These Healthcare Companies
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and technical risks: With GILD near its recent highs, the stock may be vulnerable to profit-taking if the broader defensive rotation fades or if investors question the long-term commercial potential of the early-stage TCE programs. The partnership also entails milestone payments that depend on successful development.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the second quarter valued at about $15,393,785,000. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 61,216,552 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $7,734,099,000 after purchasing an additional 1,357,967 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 15,584,341 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,912,822,000 after purchasing an additional 444,660 shares during the period. Amundi raised its position in Gilead Sciences by 10.7% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 10,539,111 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,468,836,000 after purchasing an additional 1,018,976 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,316,606,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc (NASDAQ: GILD) is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases. Its research and commercial activities focus primarily on virology, including HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, as well as oncology, inflammation and other areas of significant unmet medical need.

Gilead’s portfolio includes HIV treatments such as Biktarvy, Descovy, Genvoya and Sunlenca; hepatitis therapies including Epclusa, Harvoni and Vemlidy; and Veklury (remdesivir), an antiviral used to treat COVID-19 in certain patients.