Sunbelt Securities Inc. Trims Holdings in Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Sunbelt Securities Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 32.3% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 11,292 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 5,388 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc.’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $1,253,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the second quarter worth about $30,000. MTM Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 176.0% during the 3rd quarter. MTM Investment Management LLC now owns 276 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC grew its position in Gilead Sciences by 58.7% in the 3rd quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC now owns 319 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on GILD. Wolfe Research boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Gilead Sciences from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $157.62.

Gilead Sciences News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly beat, raised guidance and dividend increase provide fundamental support — Gilead reported $1.86 EPS (vs. $1.83 est.), $7.93B revenue (vs. $7.68B est.), set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $8.45–$8.85 and raised the quarterly dividend to $0.82. Those elements support longer‑term upside.
• Positive Sentiment: M&A/sector takeover chatter (Arcellx coverage) is reviving speculation that Gilead may pursue deals to bolster its cell‑therapy/oncology pipeline — a catalyst investors treat as strategic upside. Fool: Arcellx / takeover-related coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity flagged by scanners — heightened option flow can signal hedging or speculative bets; it’s ambiguous until directional put/call skew and volume patterns solidify. Barchart: options activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts show mixed/contrasting views — some firms have raised targets and reiterated buys while others are more cautious, so research flow is creating both support and headlines that can move sentiment. Globe and Mail: analysts conflicting
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage of potential CAR‑T competitors (Estrella/ESLA) is worth watching but is not an immediate direct threat to Gilead’s larger, diversified franchise — more a sector development. Yahoo: ESLA coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by senior executives — Johanna Mercier and CFO Andrew D. Dickinson each sold 3,000 shares (average ~$144.23) recently; multiple insider sales can sour near‑term sentiment even if part of planned diversification. InsiderTrades: insider sales
• Negative Sentiment: Recent headlines and retail coverage are bearish — pieces arguing to “avoid GILD” are amplifying outflows/weakness among some investors and may pressure the intraday move. Yahoo: 3 Reasons to Avoid GILD
• Negative Sentiment: Market‑coverage note reporting Gilead fell more than the broader market today — a short‑term confirmation of downward price pressure that may trigger additional technical selling. Zacks: GILD falls more than market

Insider Transactions at Gilead Sciences

In related news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.23, for a total transaction of $432,690.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 179,191 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,844,717.93. The trade was a 1.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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. The trade was a 2.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 309,280 shares of company stock valued at $44,068,850. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

GILD opened at $141.29 on Thursday. 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 fifty day moving average price of $141.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $127.51. The stock has a market cap of $175.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.37.

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

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

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