Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Insider Johanna Mercier Sells 3,000 Shares

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) insider Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.23, for a total value of $432,690.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 131,779 shares in the company, valued at $19,006,485.17. This trade represents a 2.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Johanna Mercier also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, February 17th, Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.44, for a total value of $4,324,320.00.
• On Thursday, January 15th, Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.31, for a total value of $372,930.00.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

NASDAQ:GILD opened at $144.40 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $141.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $127.41. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 1-year low of $93.37 and a 1-year high of $157.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.40. The firm has a market cap of $179.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.37.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 28.90% and a return on equity of 49.46%. Gilead Sciences’s revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.90 EPS. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is a positive change from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.45%.

Gilead Sciences News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Arcellx / takeover-related coverage — reports note a Gilead-related takeover theme that drove a big one‑day move in a small biotech (Arcellx). M&A activity or strategic deals in cell therapy could be viewed positively for Gilead’s pipeline expansion and long-term growth prospects. This $64 Million Biotech Exit Seemingly Missed a 77% One-Day Surge on Gilead Takeover Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity flagged by market scanners — Barchart/MSN highlighted Gilead among mega‑caps with unusual options flows, which can signal speculative interest or hedging by institutions but is ambiguous for directional bias. Monitor option volumes and put/call skew for confirmation. 2 Mega-Cap Nasdaq Stocks with Unusual Options Activity: What to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares at an average $144.23 on Mar 16 (disclosed to the SEC). Insider selling can be interpreted negatively by investors even if part of routine diversification or pre-set plans. Insider Sale – Johanna Mercier (SEC Filing)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — CFO Andrew D. Dickinson also sold 3,000 shares at an average $144.23 on Mar 16. A sale by the CFO can draw extra attention from investors and may weigh on sentiment in the near term. Insider Sale – Andrew D. Dickinson (SEC Filing)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on GILD. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $180.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group raised their price target on Gilead Sciences from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Gilead Sciences from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, HSBC upped their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $157.62.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,887 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $477,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 7,724 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $948,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC increased its stake in Gilead Sciences by 1.1% in the 4th 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 raised its holdings 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 worth $561,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $546,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.