Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) Position Boosted by Plato Investment Management Ltd

Plato Investment Management Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) by 21.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 61,579 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,758 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Gilead Sciences were worth $5,709,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.4% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,171,691 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $5,044,795,000 after purchasing an additional 841,776 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 50.9% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 34,600,676 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,900,921,000 after purchasing an additional 11,665,593 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 79.4% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 33,162,319 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,780,329,000 after purchasing an additional 14,680,161 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 2.1% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 27,540,870 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,302,119,000 after purchasing an additional 574,421 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Gilead Sciences by 3.0% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,752,975 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $650,009,000 after acquiring an additional 224,960 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 129,873 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,863,898.55. This trade represents a 1.89 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 293,356 shares of company stock valued at $29,166,240. Company insiders own 0.16% of the company’s stock.

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

NASDAQ GILD opened at $114.31 on Monday. Gilead Sciences, Inc. has a 12 month low of $62.07 and a 12 month high of $114.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.50 and a quick ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $142.46 billion, a PE ratio of 308.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.18. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $97.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $90.16.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.23. Gilead Sciences had a net margin of 1.67% and a return on equity of 31.63%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Gilead Sciences, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.79 dividend. This is a positive change from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.76%. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 854.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $109.00 price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. They set a “buy” rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Gilead Sciences from $83.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective 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. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and four have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $102.08.

Gilead Sciences Company Profile

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.