Gilead Sciences Q1 EPS Forecast Increased by Zacks Research

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Gilead Sciences in a research report issued on Tuesday, February 24th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the biopharmaceutical company will post earnings of $1.81 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.69. The consensus estimate for Gilead Sciences’ current full-year earnings is $7.95 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Gilead Sciences’ Q2 2026 earnings at $2.05 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.39 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.54 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.06 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.27 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.62 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.56 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $9.52 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $10.28 EPS.

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 company 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%. Gilead Sciences’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period 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.

GILD has been the topic of several other research reports. Mizuho upped their target price on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $129.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Wolfe Research boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Gilead Sciences presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $156.72.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

Shares of Gilead Sciences stock opened at $143.77 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $135.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.58. Gilead Sciences has a 1-year low of $93.37 and a 1-year high of $157.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The company has a market cap of $178.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.24, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.36.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GILD. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Gilead Sciences by 20.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 14,359 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $1,326,000 after buying an additional 2,450 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 4th quarter worth $215,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 16.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,182 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $464,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares during the last quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,788 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $642,000 after acquiring an additional 318 shares during the period. Finally, Rossby Financial LCC lifted its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 21.7% during the second quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 818 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Gilead Sciences news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.43, for a total value of $463,290.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 167,779 shares in the company, valued at $25,910,110.97. This represents a 1.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total value of $617,500.00. Following the sale, the director owned 8,920 shares in the company, valued at $1,101,620. The trade was a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 299,280 shares of company stock worth $42,487,570 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. This is an increase from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is 46.68%.

Trending Headlines about Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Daiwa Securities raised its price target on GILD to $161 and kept an “outperform” rating — a signal that some sell‑side desks see ~double‑digit upside from current levels. Daiwa Securities adjusts price target on Gilead Sciences to $161 from $129; maintains outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple quarterly and multi‑year EPS estimates (FY2026–FY2028), reflecting better near‑term earnings visibility and supporting consensus upward revisions for 2026–2027 (Zacks now modeling higher EPS across several quarters).
• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated a Buy and kept a $175 price target, citing Gilead’s advancing long‑acting HIV franchise as a durable competitive advantage for future revenue growth. Gilead Sciences: Advancing Long-Acting HIV Franchise Underscores Competitive Edge and Supports Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: New Phase 3 ARTISTRY data presented at CROI show Gilead’s investigational single‑tablet bictegravir/lenacapavir maintained virological suppression with low discontinuation—strengthening Gilead’s HIV pipeline narrative and potential product breadth. Gilead’s Single-Tablet Regimen Maintained Virological Suppression (Business Wire)
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead agreed to acquire Arcellx for $115/share (~$7.8B) to bolster its oncology/BCMA pipeline — strategic for growth but sizable; market reaction can be mixed while investors assess synergies, price and integration. Gilead Snaps Up Arcellx For $115 Per Share — A $7.8 Billion Bet On Cancer Therapy
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive pressure: Merck’s two‑drug HIV regimen matched Gilead’s Biktarvy in Phase 3 and is under FDA review — a meaningful competitor that raises pricing and market‑share concerns in the core HIV franchise. Merck’s New HIV Drug Shows Promise (Yahoo Finance)
• Negative Sentiment: Large M&A and ongoing competition increase near‑term uncertainty (integration costs, potential dilution, and execution risk), which can pressure the stock despite positive fundamental news.

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.