Gilead Sciences Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:GILD)

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Traders acquired 15,097 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 57% compared to the typical daily volume of 9,592 call options.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

Shares of GILD traded up $4.52 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $126.00. 2,357,722 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,950,873. The company has a market cap of $156.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.17 and a beta of 0.31. Gilead Sciences has a 1 year low of $104.46 and a 1 year high of $157.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $133.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $134.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.97, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.91 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.91 billion. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 48.19% and a net margin of 30.99%.The company’s revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.81 earnings per share. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at -1.050–0.650 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Gilead Sciences will post -0.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 29th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.69%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wolfe Research lifted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Gilead Sciences from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Gilead Sciences from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Twenty-five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $156.93.

Insider Activity at Gilead Sciences

In other news, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.29, for a total value of $3,676,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 125,779 shares in the company, valued at $16,513,524.91. This represents a 18.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Daniel Patrick O’day sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.46, for a total value of $1,971,900.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 617,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $81,185,357.82. The trade was a 2.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 68,000 shares of company stock valued at $9,047,570 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in Gilead Sciences during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 71.4% during the fourth quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 204 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in Gilead Sciences during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 60.0% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. 83.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.