Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) Stock Price

11 Apr 2026, 09:00 by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat Gem

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD – Free Report) had its price target raised by Morgan Stanley from $171.00 to $175.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Wolfe Research raised their target price on Gilead Sciences from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Gilead Sciences from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays assumed coverage on Gilead Sciences in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $155.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Gilead Sciences in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Twenty-four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $156.42.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:GILD opened at $139.03 on Friday. Gilead Sciences has a 1-year low of $93.37 and a 1-year high of $157.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $172.56 billion, a PE ratio of 20.54, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.39. The business’s 50 day moving average is $145.13 and its 200-day moving average is $130.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.55, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $7.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.68 billion. Gilead Sciences had a return on equity of 49.46% and a net margin of 28.90%.Gilead Sciences’s revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.90 EPS. Gilead Sciences has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.450-8.850 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Gilead Sciences will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Gilead Sciences Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were given a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Gilead Sciences’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Gilead Sciences’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.45%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Gilead Sciences news, Director Jeffrey Bluestone sold 5,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.50, for a total value of $617,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,920 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,101,620. The trade was a 35.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Andrew D. Dickinson sold 3,000 shares of Gilead Sciences stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.23, for a total value of $432,690.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 179,191 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,844,717.93. The trade was a 1.65% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 299,280 shares of company stock worth $42,820,550. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gilead Sciences

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Paulson Wealth Management Inc. now owns 3,887 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $477,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 7,724 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $948,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 6,619 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $812,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 4,572 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $561,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Gilead Sciences by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,446 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $546,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Gilead Sciences

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

Positive Sentiment: Gilead agreed to acquire Tubulis for up to $5 billion to expand its ADC oncology pipeline — a strategic bolt-on that supports Gilead’s shift into oncology and could drive longer‑term revenue growth. Gilead Sciences (GILD) to Acquire Tubulis for $5B to Strengthen Oncology Pipeline
Positive Sentiment: Gilead exercised its option to license KT‑200 from Kymera, triggering a $45M milestone payment to Kymera and adding a first‑in‑class oral CDK2 degrader to its discovery-to-clinic pipeline — a validation of Gilead’s external innovation strategy. KYMR Set to Earn Milestone Payment as GILD Secures License for KT-200
Positive Sentiment: Research partners and collaborations: expanded RWE and oncology R&D tie-ups (Tempus, Cartography) reinforce Gilead’s push to accelerate translational work and de‑risk discovery-stage assets. Tempus Announces Strategic Collaboration with Gilead
Positive Sentiment: Sell-side lifts and bullish notes: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $175 with an overweight rating (largest upside among today’s notes), and Truist also nudged up its target — these analyst actions can support buying interest. Price target raise at Morgan Stanley (Benzinga)
Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data for April is effectively meaningless/zero in the report (shows 0 shares / NaN change), so it doesn’t provide directional insight into current positioning.
Negative Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald cut its price target sharply to $115 (while oddly maintaining an overweight rating), introducing downside headline risk and signaling divergent analyst views on valuation. Cantor Fitzgerald Adjusts Price Target on Gilead Sciences
Negative Sentiment: The AIDS Healthcare Foundation publicly criticized Gilead over its role in a Florida drugs situation — reputational and regulatory scrutiny can pressure sentiment and potentially elevate legal/regulatory risk. AHF Slams Gilead for Role in Florida AIDS Drug Crisis

About Gilead Sciences

(Get Free Report)

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.