Daiwa Securities Group Boosts Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Price Target to $161.00

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) had its price objective increased by stock analysts at Daiwa Securities Group from $129.00 to $161.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock. Daiwa Securities Group’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 11.98% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on GILD. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Mizuho raised their price target on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Argus boosted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $156.72.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

Shares of GILD opened at $143.77 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $178.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.36. Gilead Sciences has a 52-week low of $93.37 and a 52-week high of $157.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $135.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $124.58.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last issued 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. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 28.90% and a return on equity of 49.46%. The business had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.90 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. Research analysts predict that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Gilead Sciences

In related news, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total value of $617,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 8,920 shares in the company, valued at $1,101,620. This trade represents a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.44, for a total transaction of $4,324,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 120,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,577,278.72. This trade represents a 18.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 299,280 shares of company stock worth $42,487,570. 0.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Gilead Sciences

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Gilead Sciences by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 121,097,336 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $14,863,487,000 after acquiring an additional 2,113,692 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,240,518 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $7,393,921,000 after purchasing an additional 1,151,213 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Gilead Sciences by 2.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 29,207,662 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $3,231,548,000 after purchasing an additional 727,515 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 27,698,660 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $3,399,734,000 after purchasing an additional 1,195,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Gilead Sciences by 15.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 23,121,620 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,837,948,000 after buying an additional 3,046,688 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

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.

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.