Gilead Sciences Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:GILD)

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) saw some unusual options trading on Monday. Stock investors acquired 12,503 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 54% compared to the typical volume of 8,104 call options.

Gilead Sciences Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of GILD stock traded up $2.06 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $145.78. 1,164,702 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,909,058. Gilead Sciences has a 12 month low of $108.46 and a 12 month high of $157.29. The company has a market cap of $180.76 billion, a P/E ratio of -54.62 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $138.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $136.19.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($6.75) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($7.25) by $0.50. Gilead Sciences had a negative net margin of 10.64% and a negative return on equity of 2.11%. The firm had revenue of $7.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.01 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Gilead Sciences will post -0.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -122.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on GILD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $120.00 to $123.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Maxim Group upgraded Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $165.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Leerink Partners lowered Gilead Sciences from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $146.00 to $127.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $158.78.

Insider Buying and Selling at Gilead Sciences

In other news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.36, for a total transaction of $415,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 165,646 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,918,780.56. This represents a 1.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Daniel O’Day sold 15,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.64, for a total transaction of $2,229,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 577,133 shares in the company, valued at approximately $85,785,049.12. The trade was a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 99,000 shares of company stock worth $13,747,860 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Essex Financial Services Inc. boosted 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 purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Davidson Trust Co. raised its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Davidson Trust Co. now owns 1,879 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $262,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Venture Visionary Partners LLC lifted its position in Gilead Sciences by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC now owns 6,422 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $788,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. boosted its stake in Gilead Sciences by 30.2% during the first quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 328 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC increased its position in Gilead Sciences by 54.2% during the first quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 222 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Gilead Sciences Company Profile

Gilead Sciences, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases. The company’s research focuses primarily on virology, oncology, inflammation and related areas, with products serving patients in the United States and international markets.

Gilead is best known for its HIV treatments, including Biktarvy, Genvoya, Descovy and other antiretroviral therapies. Its portfolio also includes medicines for viral hepatitis, such as Epclusa and Vemlidy, and Veklury (remdesivir), an antiviral treatment for COVID-19.