Meiji Yasuda America Inc Takes Position in Gilead Sciences, Inc. $GILD

Meiji Yasuda America Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 24,934 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,060,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Financial Consulate Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 85.8% in the fourth 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 period. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its holdings in shares of Gilead Sciences by 54.8% in the fourth quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 243 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the period. BOCHK Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. 83.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Gilead Sciences

In other news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.27, for a total value of $396,810.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 173,191 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,907,973.57. This represents a 1.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Johanna Mercier sold 28,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.29, for a total transaction of $3,676,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 125,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,513,524.91. This trade represents a 18.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 68,000 shares of company stock valued at $9,047,570 over the last three months. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Gilead Sciences

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein initiated/maintained a Buy view on Gilead, adding to the bullish analyst sentiment around the stock. Gilead Sciences (GILD) Gets a Buy from Bernstein
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead and Merck reported positive topline Phase 3 results for their once-weekly oral HIV regimen (islatravir + lenacapavir), which strengthens the company’s growth story and HIV franchise outlook. Is Gilead (GILD) One of the Top Large Cap Value Stocks to Buy Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Gilead’s HIV business continues to get attention for momentum from Biktarvy, Descovy, and Yeztugo, with late-stage pipeline progress supporting the long-term earnings outlook. Can Gilead Sciences HIV Franchise Drive Long-Term Growth?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent Phase 3 IDEAL study results for Livdelzi in primary biliary cholangitis also reinforced confidence in Gilead’s pipeline development. Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD): a Top Deep Value Stock Making Progress on Pipeline Development
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead was cited in broader articles about pharma/biotech M&A and healthcare investing, which may keep the stock on traders’ radar but does not directly change fundamentals. Pharma and Biotech M&A Boom Accelerates as Companies Expand Pipelines
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option activity suggests traders are positioning for more upside, though it is not a fundamental development.
• Neutral Sentiment: Gilead Foundation’s ~$3 million HIV/AIDS education commitment is positive for brand and ESG perception, but the financial impact is likely limited. National AIDS Memorial and the Gilead Foundation Launch Major Investment to Expand HIV/AIDS Education and Community Leadership

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 target price on shares of Gilead Sciences in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Daiwa Securities Group decreased their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $161.00 to $150.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $170.00 to $167.00 in a report on Monday, May 11th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Maxim Group upgraded shares of Gilead Sciences from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $165.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $156.93.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

NASDAQ GILD opened at $125.87 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $133.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $134.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.97 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $156.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.15 and a beta of 0.31. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 52-week low of $104.46 and a 52-week high of $157.29.

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

Gilead Sciences Announces Dividend

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

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.