Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Upgraded at Barclays

Barclays upgraded shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

GILD has been the subject of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Daiwa Securities Group lifted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $128.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $159.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $155.44.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

Shares of GILD opened at $151.40 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $133.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $123.71. Gilead Sciences has a 12 month low of $93.37 and a 12 month high of $157.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $187.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.36.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 49.46% and a net margin of 28.90%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.90 EPS. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 EPS for the current 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 issued a dividend of $0.82 per share. This is an increase 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%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is 46.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Gilead Sciences

In other news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.44, for a total value of $4,324,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 120,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,577,278.72. This represents a 18.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.43, for a total value of $463,290.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 167,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,910,110.97. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 319,891 shares of company stock worth $45,091,556. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 71.4% in the fourth quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 204 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC increased its stake in Gilead Sciences by 7,566.7% in the 2nd quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 230 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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

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.