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Gilead Sciences (GILD) Laps the Stock Market: Here's Why

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Gilead Sciences (GILD - Free Report) closed at $112.69 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.93% move from the prior day. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.01%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.51%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.28%.

The stock of HIV and hepatitis C drugmaker has fallen by 1.96% in the past month, lagging the Medical sector's gain of 4.67% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.83%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Gilead Sciences in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $2.15, showcasing a 6.44% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $7.43 billion, indicating a 1.59% decline compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $8.08 per share and a revenue of $28.75 billion, signifying shifts of +74.89% and 0%, respectively, from the last year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Gilead Sciences. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.21% lower. Gilead Sciences is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, Gilead Sciences currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 13.68. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 19.42, which means Gilead Sciences is trading at a discount to the group.

Meanwhile, GILD's PEG ratio is currently 0.75. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.82.

The Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry is part of the Medical sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 74, finds itself in the top 30% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.


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