Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. Decreases Stock Position in Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. cut its position in Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 76.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,191 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 96,262 shares during the quarter. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $3,351,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC bought a new position in Gilead Sciences during the third quarter worth about $40,404,000. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 24.4% in the third quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 15,966 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,772,000 after purchasing an additional 3,135 shares during the period. Bamco Inc. NY lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 29.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 24,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $2,664,000 after buying an additional 5,500 shares in the last quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 574,798 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $63,820,000 after buying an additional 8,536 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boothbay Fund Management LLC boosted its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 12.2% in the 3rd quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 2,220 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $246,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays started coverage on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $155.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho raised their price target on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Leerink Partners increased their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $146.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $157.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total value of $617,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,920 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,101,620. This represents a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider directly owned 120,288 shares in the company, valued at $18,577,278.72. This represents a 18.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 303,280 shares of company stock valued at $43,203,470 over the last 90 days. 0.27% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

NASDAQ GILD opened at $144.99 on Monday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $140.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $126.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.40. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 1 year low of $93.37 and a 1 year high of $157.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $179.99 billion, a PE ratio of 21.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.36.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $7.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.90 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. Analysts predict that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. 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. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.45%.

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.