Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Hits New 1-Year High on Earnings Beat

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $154.50 and last traded at $156.0380, with a volume of 2075280 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $147.23.

The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.03. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 51.86% and a net margin of 27.88%.The firm had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.90 earnings per share. The firm’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.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is an increase from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.99%.

Trending Headlines about Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Needham reiterated a Buy and raised its price target to $170, reflecting confidence in HIV momentum and margin expansion. Analyst Note
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its price target from $140 to $177 and kept a “sector outperform” stance — a sizable upside vs. the current price that supports further upside expectations. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald bumped its target to $155 and moved to Overweight, adding institutional buying interest. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead beat Q4 estimates — $1.86 EPS vs. $1.83 consensus and revenue roughly $7.9B — signaling continued strength in its core HIV and liver-disease franchises. Reuters
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a 3.8% quarterly dividend increase to $0.82 per share (payable March 30), supporting income investors and the yield profile. Business Wire
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 earnings materials and the conference call transcript provide detail on product trends (Yeztugo launch, HIV portfolio). Useful for modeling revenue cadence but not immediate market-moving by itself. Yahoo Finance
• Negative Sentiment: Gilead’s FY?2026 guidance came in light: EPS guidance $8.45–$8.85 (consensus ~$8.69) and revenue guidance $29.6–$30.0B vs. ~$30.1B consensus — investors focused on the downside of the outlook. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Because guidance missed some street expectations, shares dipped in after?hours/extended trading — the immediate market reaction is driven more by forward guidance than yesterday’s beat. MSN

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GILD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Wolfe Research increased their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $135.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $153.00 to $159.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $131.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Twenty-five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Gilead Sciences currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.85.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.31, for a total transaction of $372,930.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 103,221 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,831,402.51. This represents a 2.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total value of $617,500.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 8,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,101,620. This trade represents a 35.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 319,391 shares of company stock worth $44,141,101 in the last quarter. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. GoalVest Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 7,566.7% during the second quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 230 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Corundum Trust Company INC acquired a new position in Gilead Sciences during the third quarter worth $26,000. Harbor Asset Planning Inc. acquired a new position in Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Financial Consulate Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 85.8% in the 4th quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. now owns 236 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Gilead Sciences Trading Up 4.3%

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $128.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $121.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $190.54 billion, a PE ratio of 23.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03.

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.