Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Stock Price

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) had its price target lifted by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $150.00 to $171.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 11.38% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Twenty-five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.85.

Gilead Sciences Trading Up 4.3%

Gilead Sciences stock opened at $153.54 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The stock has a market cap of $190.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.65, a P/E/G ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.36. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $128.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $121.53. Gilead Sciences has a 12 month low of $93.37 and a 12 month high of $153.13.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $7.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 51.86% and a net margin of 27.88%.The firm’s revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.90 earnings per share. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Gilead Sciences

In other news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.31, for a total transaction of $372,930.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 150,503 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,709,027.93. This trade represents a 1.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 115,640 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $15,611,400.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 566,698 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,504,230. The trade was a 16.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 319,391 shares of company stock valued at $44,141,101 over the last ninety days. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 7,566.7% during the 2nd quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 230 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Consulate Inc. lifted its position in Gilead Sciences by 85.8% during the fourth quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. now owns 236 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 54.8% in the 4th quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 243 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Needham reiterated a Buy and raised its price target to $170, reflecting confidence in HIV momentum and margin expansion. Analyst Note
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its price target from $140 to $177 and kept a “sector outperform” stance — a sizable upside vs. the current price that supports further upside expectations. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald bumped its target to $155 and moved to Overweight, adding institutional buying interest. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead beat Q4 estimates — $1.86 EPS vs. $1.83 consensus and revenue roughly $7.9B — signaling continued strength in its core HIV and liver-disease franchises. Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a 3.8% quarterly dividend increase to $0.82 per share (payable March 30), supporting income investors and the yield profile. Business Wire
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 earnings materials and the conference call transcript provide detail on product trends (Yeztugo launch, HIV portfolio). Useful for modeling revenue cadence but not immediate market-moving by itself. Yahoo Finance
• Negative Sentiment: Gilead’s FY‑2026 guidance came in light: EPS guidance $8.45–$8.85 (consensus ~$8.69) and revenue guidance $29.6–$30.0B vs. ~$30.1B consensus — investors focused on the downside of the outlook. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Because guidance missed some street expectations, shares dipped in after‑hours/extended trading — the immediate market reaction is driven more by forward guidance than yesterday’s beat. MSN

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.