Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Coverage Initiated at Jefferies Financial Group

Equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) in a report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price target on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 23.29% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $128.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $157.62.

Gilead Sciences Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of GILD opened at $146.00 on Tuesday. Gilead Sciences has a fifty-two week low of $93.37 and a fifty-two week high of $157.29. The business has a 50-day moving average of $139.70 and a 200 day moving average of $126.44. The firm has a market cap of $181.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 1.55.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $7.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 28.90% and a return on equity of 49.46%. The company’s revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.90 earnings per share. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Gilead Sciences news, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.79, for a total value of $1,447,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 642,308 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $92,999,775.32. This trade represents a 1.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total transaction of $617,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,101,620. This trade represents a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 309,280 shares of company stock valued at $43,935,470. 0.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,887 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $477,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 7,724 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $948,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 6,619 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $812,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC lifted its position in Gilead Sciences by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 4,572 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $561,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Gilead Sciences by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,446 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $546,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies initiated coverage with a Buy and $180 price target, signaling analyst confidence and implying ~23% upside from recent levels. This provides fresh institutional buy-side interest. Jefferies Starts Gilead Sciences at Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell ~15.7% in February to ~18.45M shares (1.5% of float), lowering the potential for short-squeeze volatility and suggesting fewer immediate bearish bets against the stock. Market data on GILD short interest
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/sector tailwind: commentators including Josh Brown (Ritholtz) are bullish on large-cap biotech as a growth segment less prone to disruption, which supports investor appetite for Gilead as a defensive growth name within biotech. Josh Brown: Biotech growth stocks immune to disruption risk
• Positive Sentiment: Market opportunity: industry reports point to expansion in CD19-targeted therapies and autoimmune/oncology pipelines, which underpins the strategic rationale for Gilead’s moves to build out oncology/CAR-T capabilities. CD19 Inhibitors Market to Witness Significant Expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor outreach: Gilead presented at the Barclays and Leerink healthcare conferences (transcripts available); these investor events provide detail but have not produced a clear immediate market reaction. Barclays conference transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent trading: coverage roundup and prior-day outperformance show momentum, but the move may invite short-term profit-taking. Gilead Outperforms Broader Market
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition concern: Gilead agreed to buy Arcellx for up to $7.8B at roughly a 79% premium to the pre-deal price — strategic for oncology/CAR-T scale but potentially dilutive/expensive in the near term, which can pressure sentiment and trigger selling from valuation-conscious investors. Gilead to Acquire Arcellx, Inc. for Up to $7.8 billion

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.