Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD)
Gilead Sciences is a major American healthcare company that develops life-saving medicines, particularly for viral diseases like HIV and hepatitis.
Is Gilead Sciences, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Very high profit margins on core products. Worth weighing: Heavy reliance on a few key drug franchises.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Share price divided by the earnings actually reported over the four most recent quarters. The range is the same calculation at each of this company's last few results, so roughly the past year.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does Gilead Sciences, Inc. do?
Gilead focuses on discovering and selling advanced treatments for complex illnesses, making most of its money from its dominant position in the HIV medicine market. Because they own the patents to these essential drugs, they enjoy high profit margins, though they must constantly invest in new research to replace older products. Growth beyond their core viral business will come down to how well their newer cancer treatments perform.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on income and growth, and weakest on quality.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 2.5% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 10% over the year
- !Carries a lot of debt - roughly 2.2x its equity
- —
- Quality screens low
Does Gilead Sciences, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Gilead Sciences, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 2.5% a year, which is £25 a year for every £1,000 invested (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it. An ISA doesn't shelter the US tax on this one →
What do the numbers say about Gilead Sciences, Inc.'s dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
Most recent ex-dividend date: 15 Jun 2026. To receive a dividend you must already own the shares before the ex-dividend date; become a holder on or after it and the previous owner keeps that payment. Why the price usually falls that morning →
Does Gilead Sciences, Inc. have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $4.88B in cash against about $26.25B of debt - so it has net debt of about $21.36B. Debt is not automatically a problem - it funds growth - but it has to be serviced and repaid, which matters more when profits wobble.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do Gilead Sciences, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Gilead Sciences, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Gilead Sciences, Inc. fell as much as −22% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Who owns Gilead Sciences, Inc.?
About 93% of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or about 93 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds. The rest, roughly 7%, is held by the public and smaller investors.
What this does and doesn't tell you
This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does Gilead Sciences, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does Gilead Sciences, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-29 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-07 | $1.91 | $2.03 | Beat +6% |
| 2026-02-10 | $1.81 | $1.86 | Beat +3% |
| 2025-10-30 | $2.14 | $2.47 | Beat +16% |
| 2025-08-07 | $1.96 | $2.01 | Beat +3% |
| 2025-04-24 | $1.78 | $1.81 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-02-11 | $1.70 | $1.90 | Beat +12% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Gilead Sciences, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for Gilead Sciences, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
A major breakthrough in a new medical field.
Failure to innovate and loss of market dominance.
What are the pros and cons of Gilead Sciences, Inc.?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Very high profit margins on core products
- Strong track record in the HIV treatment market
- Consistent dividend payments to shareholders
- Lower price volatility compared to the broader market
- Heavy reliance on a few key drug franchises
- High costs associated with constant research and development
- Pressure from governments to lower drug prices
- Patents expiring, allowing cheaper generic competitors to enter
- Clinical trials failing to produce successful new medicines
- Changes in healthcare regulations affecting drug pricing
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A significant, permanent drop in HIV treatment demand
- A major failure in the company's research and development pipeline
Common questions about Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Does Gilead Sciences, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Gilead Sciences, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 2.5% a year. Dividends are a share of profit paid to holders; the yield moves with the price and payouts can be cut.
When does Gilead Sciences, Inc. report earnings next?
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-10-29. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
More in Healthcare
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Viatris Inc.
CVS Health Corporation
DaVita Inc.
Universal Health Services, Inc.
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
Humana Inc.Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.