Flputnam Investment Management Co. Decreases Stake in Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Flputnam Investment Management Co. reduced its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 48.8% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 70,944 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 67,582 shares during the period. Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $8,963,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of GILD. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new position in Gilead Sciences in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 71.4% in the fourth quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 204 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. 83.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Gilead Sciences News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved Bixlenvo, a once-daily single-tablet regimen combining bictegravir and lenacapavir for virologically suppressed adults with HIV. It is the first and only single-tablet option for patients on complex regimens who cannot use currently available alternatives, potentially expanding Gilead’s HIV franchise and supporting its longer-term lenacapavir strategy. Reuters FDA approval article
• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission approved Trodelvy plus Keytruda for certain first-line metastatic triple-negative breast cancer patients, strengthening Gilead’s oncology portfolio and adding a potential growth opportunity outside its core HIV business. EU Trodelvy approval article
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of approximately $158. However, GILD’s strong multi-year advance may have raised expectations and limited the immediate upside from the Bixlenvo approval. Gilead valuation article
• Negative Sentiment: Director Anthony Welters sold 18,000 shares worth about $2.68 million, reducing his position by roughly 58%. The sale occurred under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, making it a limited bearish signal, but it may still weigh modestly on investor sentiment. SEC insider transaction filing

Gilead Sciences Stock Performance

GILD opened at $145.68 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $134.25 and its 200 day moving average is $136.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03. The company has a market cap of $180.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -54.56 and a beta of 0.32. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 12-month low of $108.46 and a 12-month high of $157.29.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($6.75) EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $7.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.01 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -0.5 EPS for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is presently -122.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada increased 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 report on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price target on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price target on Gilead Sciences from $157.00 to $156.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Gilead Sciences has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $158.04.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 165,646 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,918,780.56. The trade was a 1.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.02, for a total transaction of $725,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,459,771.32. This represents a 33.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 105,000 shares of company stock valued at $14,238,120. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Gilead Sciences 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.