Barclays Upgrades Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) to Hold

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

GILD has been the topic of several other reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Citigroup increased their target price on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Argus lifted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, HSBC increased their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Gilead Sciences has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.44.

Gilead Sciences Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ GILD opened at $151.40 on Thursday. Gilead Sciences has a 52-week low of $93.37 and a 52-week high of $157.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.68. The business has a fifty day moving average of $133.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $123.63. The stock has a market cap of $187.84 billion, a PE ratio of 22.36, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.36.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $7.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.90 EPS. 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. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 115,640 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $15,611,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 566,698 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,504,230. This represents a 16.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 120,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,577,278.72. The trade was a 18.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 319,891 shares of company stock valued at $45,091,556 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 11,508 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,412,000 after buying an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Cambient Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,122,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. Hamilton Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Hamilton Wealth LLC now owns 38,367 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $4,709,000 after purchasing an additional 2,208 shares during the period. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 13.4% during the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 302,669 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $37,150,000 after purchasing an additional 35,769 shares during the period. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Gilead Sciences News

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

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.