Dodge & Cox Reduces Stock Position in Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Dodge & Cox trimmed its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 2.2% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 30,133,131 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 685,191 shares during the period. Gilead Sciences makes up about 1.8% of Dodge & Cox’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Dodge & Cox’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $3,344,778,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new position in Gilead Sciences in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new position in Gilead Sciences during the second quarter worth $30,000. MTM Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Gilead Sciences by 176.0% during the third quarter. MTM Investment Management LLC now owns 276 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 58.7% in the third quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 319 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on GILD. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $128.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Leerink Partners increased their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $146.00 to $148.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Gilead Sciences from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $103.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Gilead Sciences presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $157.62.

Gilead Sciences News Roundup

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

In other Gilead Sciences news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.43, for a total value of $463,290.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 167,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,910,110.97. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 120,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,577,278.72. This represents a 18.88% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 309,280 shares of company stock worth $43,935,470. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Gilead Sciences Stock Down 0.2%

GILD opened at $144.99 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $179.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.42, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.37. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $140.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $126.78. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 52 week low of $93.37 and a 52 week high of $157.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 28.90% and a return on equity of 49.46%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.90 EPS. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

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

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.