Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Price Target Raised to $132.00

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) had its price target hoisted by Oppenheimer from $115.00 to $132.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on GILD. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $85.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Gilead Sciences from $113.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Gilead Sciences from $84.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $104.24.

Gilead Sciences Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of Gilead Sciences stock opened at $116.04 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $99.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $91.09. The company has a market capitalization of $144.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 313.62, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. Gilead Sciences has a 12-month low of $62.07 and a 12-month high of $117.39.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.23. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 1.67% and a return on equity of 31.63%. On average, analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.79 dividend. This is a positive change from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is presently 854.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Gilead Sciences news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.35, for a total value of $228,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 129,873 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,863,898.55. This trade represents a 1.89 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 293,356 shares of company stock valued at $29,166,240 in the last three months. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Gilead Sciences by 118.5% during the fourth quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 284 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. YANKCOM Partnership purchased a new position in Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new position in Gilead Sciences in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Gilead Sciences during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Stephens Consulting LLC increased its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences by 325.0% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 340 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. 83.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes medicines in the areas of unmet medical need in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company provides Biktarvy, Genvoya, Descovy, Odefsey, Truvada, Complera/ Eviplera, Stribild, Sunlencs, and Atripla products for the treatment of HIV/AIDS; Veklury, an injection for intravenous use, for the treatment of COVID-19; and Epclusa, Harvoni, Vemlidy, and Viread for the treatment of viral hepatitis.