Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Rating Increased to Hold at Barclays

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) was upgraded by Barclays to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $171.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $160.00 price target on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their target price on Gilead Sciences from $159.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Gilead Sciences presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.44.

Gilead Sciences Trading Up 0.2%

GILD stock opened at $151.40 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.31. Gilead Sciences has a 1-year low of $93.37 and a 1-year high of $157.29. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $133.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $123.63. The company has a market capitalization of $187.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.36.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 transaction of $4,324,320.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 120,288 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,577,278.72. This represents a 18.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.08, for a total value of $625,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 8,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,115,713.60. This represents a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 319,891 shares of company stock worth $45,091,556. 0.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,887 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $477,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Essex Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in Gilead Sciences by 0.9% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC increased its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 6,619 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $812,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Personal CFO Solutions LLC raised its position in Gilead Sciences by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 4,572 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $561,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,446 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $546,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

Gilead Sciences News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and firm guidance: Gilead reported $1.86 EPS vs. $1.83 est. and $7.93B revenue (above estimates) and set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $8.45–$8.85 — a catalyst for re-rating. Analyst Reactions Post‑Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target to $165 and kept a Buy rating, adding analyst-driven upside (~mid-single digits vs. current levels). Argus PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho lifted its target to $170 and kept an Outperform rating, supporting a higher consensus valuation and momentum for buy‑side flows. Mizuho PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays initiated coverage with an Equal‑Weight rating and $155 target — neither a strong buy nor a sell signal, but it provides fresh institutional coverage. Barclays Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader analyst and media coverage (Zacks, Yahoo, Benzinga retrospectives) is keeping GILD in focus for retail/institutional investors; these pieces inform positioning but are mixed in directional impact. Zacks Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data in the feed looks anomalous/zeroed out and provides no clear sell pressure signal at present (data likely noisy).
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CFO Andrew Dickinson sold 3,000 shares (~$154.43 avg price) — a small amount but negative for sentiment when combined with other insider moves. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Material insider sale: Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares (~$154.44 avg), an ~18.9% reduction in her holding — a larger ticket that can weigh on investor confidence. Mercier Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: “Time to take profits” / rating downgrade commentary is circulating, which can trigger short‑term selling from momentum traders. Seeking Alpha Take‑Profits Piece

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.