Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD Shares Sold by Prudential PLC

Prudential PLC trimmed its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 6.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 182,818 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 11,677 shares during the quarter. Prudential PLC’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $20,293,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of GILD. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 119,364,226 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $13,233,912,000 after purchasing an additional 1,893,401 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Gilead Sciences in the second quarter worth about $2,150,268,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 12.0% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 15,139,681 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,680,505,000 after buying an additional 1,618,453 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 18.2% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 10,467,411 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,167,221,000 after buying an additional 1,614,355 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 4.2% during the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 10,210,599 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,133,376,000 after buying an additional 414,454 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

Shares of GILD opened at $144.99 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $179.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 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, Inc. has a one year low of $93.37 and a one year high of $157.29. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $140.62 and its 200-day moving average is $126.78.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $7.93 billion for 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%. The company’s revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.90 earnings per share. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on GILD shares. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $160.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price target on the stock. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $157.62.

Gilead Sciences News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism — Jefferies and other firms have initiated or reiterated positive coverage, highlighting Gilead’s strong HIV franchise, expanding oncology/cell therapy pipeline and long IP runway (through ~2036), which supports both income and growth narratives. How Renewed Wall Street Optimism Around HIV, Oncology And IP Runway At Gilead Sciences (GILD) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised near-term EPS estimates (Q1/Q2 and FY2027 upgrades reported), nudging earnings expectations higher — a constructive signal for investors focused on fundamentals. The Zacks Analyst Blog: Oracle, T‑Mobile, Gilead and C&F Financial
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call-option activity (130k+ calls) signals bullish positioning by traders, which can amplify upside if catalysts continue. (Market data)
• Positive Sentiment: Index and institutional flows — rising institutional focus amid Nasdaq‑100 dynamics can support demand for GILD shares from passive and quant funds. Gilead (NASDAQ:GILD) Institutional Focus Rises In Nasdaq 100 Index
• Neutral Sentiment: Acquisition rationale — coverage and analyst pieces discuss whether the ~$7.8B Arcellx buy strengthens Gilead’s cell‑therapy franchise amid declining cell therapy sales; the strategic case is positive but clinical/commercial risks remain. Will GILD’s Move to Acquire ACLX Boost Its Cell Therapy Franchise?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market context — broader investor flows into growth/tech vs. traditional defensives are affecting healthcare sector moves; this macro backdrop is neither uniquely positive nor negative for Gilead. Why Investors Aren’t Fleeing to Safe‑Haven Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Deal/legal risk — a law firm (Kahn Swick & Foti) is investigating Arcellx’s proposed sale to Gilead, citing concerns over price/process; shareholder litigation or regulatory scrutiny could delay or alter the transaction terms and is a near‑term overhang. Arcellx Investor Alert: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of Arcellx, Inc.

Insider Activity at Gilead Sciences

In related news, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total transaction of $617,500.00. Following the sale, the director owned 8,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,101,620. The trade was 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 the SEC website. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the company’s 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 owned 120,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,577,278.72. This trade represents a 18.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 309,280 shares of company stock valued at $43,935,470. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.