Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Insider Johanna Mercier Sells 3,000 Shares of Stock

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) insider Johanna Mercier sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.22, for a total value of $432,660.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 116,684 shares in the company, valued at $16,828,166.48. The trade was a 2.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Johanna Mercier also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, August 17th, Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.64, for a total transaction of $3,853,920.00.

Gilead Sciences Trading Up 0.9%

GILD stock opened at $147.68 on Thursday. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 52 week low of $108.46 and a 52 week high of $157.29. The company has a market capitalization of $183.12 billion, a PE ratio of -55.31 and a beta of 0.33. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $139.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $136.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.27.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($6.75) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($7.25) by $0.50. The business had revenue of $7.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.40 billion. Gilead Sciences had a negative net margin of 10.64% and a negative return on equity of 2.11%. The business’s revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.01 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post -0.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -122.85%.

Gilead Sciences News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Gilead expanded six royalty-free voluntary licensing agreements to include its investigational once-yearly lenacapavir formulation for HIV prevention. The agreements cover 120 high-incidence countries and are intended to support technology transfer, manufacturing readiness and future supply. The program could substantially broaden access to Gilead’s HIV-prevention franchise, although the formulation remains investigational. Gilead Accelerates Global Access Planning for Investigational Once-Yearly Lenacapavir for HIV Prevention
• Positive Sentiment: A new agreement with the Pan American Health Organization will facilitate access to twice-yearly lenacapavir across PAHO member states in Latin America and the Caribbean, adding 14 countries to Gilead’s global access strategy. The deal strengthens the drug’s potential reach and supports long-term demand, though it is primarily an access initiative rather than an immediate earnings catalyst. Gilead and PAHO Announce Milestone Partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead’s $0.82-per-share dividend went ex-dividend on September 15. The payout supports the income-investment case but can create a mechanical adjustment in the share price on the ex-dividend date. Gilead Sciences Dividend Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Financial Officer Andrew Dickinson and insider Johanna Mercier each sold 3,000 shares. Both transactions were made under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, and each executive retained a substantial holding, limiting the negative signal for investors. CFO Insider Sale Filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on GILD shares. HSBC boosted their price target on Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Weiss Ratings raised Gilead Sciences from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Gilead Sciences from $166.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $158.78.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 2nd quarter worth $15,393,785,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,617,152,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Gilead Sciences in the second quarter valued at about $1,316,606,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in Gilead Sciences in the second quarter valued at about $918,387,000. Finally, Boston Partners acquired a new position in Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter worth about $517,808,000. 83.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Gilead Sciences Company Profile

Gilead Sciences, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases. The company’s research focuses primarily on virology, oncology, inflammation and related areas, with products serving patients in the United States and international markets.

Gilead is best known for its HIV treatments, including Biktarvy, Genvoya, Descovy and other antiretroviral therapies. Its portfolio also includes medicines for viral hepatitis, such as Epclusa and Vemlidy, and Veklury (remdesivir), an antiviral treatment for COVID-19.