Gilead Sciences (GILD -0.69%) is a leading biopharmaceutical company. It has developed innovative medicines to treat HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, cancer, inflammation, and other diseases.
NASDAQ: GILD
Key Data Points
The company’s investments in research and development to deliver innovative medicines have paid off for shareholders over the decades. Gilead has delivered a more than 45,000% total return since its initial public offering (IPO) more than 30 years ago, a 21.8% annualized rate.
That robust return makes the pharmaceutical stock a worthwhile consideration for your investment portfolio. Here’s everything you need to know about how to invest in Gilead Sciences stock.
How to buy Gilead Sciences stock
Since it’s a publicly traded company, anyone can buy Gilead Sciences stock. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to invest money in the pharmaceutical stock:
- Open your brokerage account: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments. If you don't have one yet, take a look at our favorite brokers and trading platforms to find the right one for you.
- Search for Gilead Sciences: Enter the ticker "GILD" into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
Should you invest in Gilead Sciences?
Before investing in Gilead Sciences, you need to determine whether the biotech stock is a good fit for your portfolio. Here are some reasons why you might want to buy the stock:
- You believe Gilead can continue to develop innovative medicines and grow shareholder value.
- You want to invest in companies that pay a growing dividend.
- You’re excited by the company’s drug pipeline and believe it has some blockbusters under development.
- You want to invest in a pharmaceutical stock that’s not facing a near-term patent cliff (Gildead has no major loss of exclusivity until 2036).
- You want to invest in a financially strong biopharma company.
On the other hand, here are some factors that might lead you to reconsider investing in the company:
- You’re concerned about potential legislative changes that could hurt the profitability of pharmaceutical companies.
- You want to invest in an earlier-stage biotech company with more upside potential.
- You already own several other pharmaceutical stocks.
- You think rival biotech companies have better drug pipelines and growth prospects.
Is Gilead Sciences profitable?
Several factors can affect a company’s stock price in the short term. However, profitability tends to be the biggest factor driving a company’s ability to grow shareholder value over the long term.
Gilead Sciences is a very profitable company. Through the first nine months of 2025, the company generated $21.5 billion of revenue and $6.3 billion of net income. The company also generates strong cash flow, with $6.7 billion in operating cash flow and $6.3 billion in free cash flow produced during that period. This robust free cash flow allows the company to return money to shareholders ($1 billion of dividend payments and $435 million of share repurchases in the third quarter). It also supports Gilead’s strong cash-rich balance sheet (a $9.4 billion cash balance in late 2025).
The company’s robust profitability enables it to invest heavily in research and development (R&D) to discover and launch new treatments, while also returning cash to shareholders.
Does Gilead Sciences pay a dividend?
Yes, Gilead Sciences pays a dividend. As of late 2025, Gilead Sciences had paid a dividend every quarter since it initiated the payout in 2015. It has steadily increased its payment over the years, including by 2.6% in the first quarter of 2025.
Date | Stock Split
Type |
|---|---|
February 2001 | 2-for-1 |
March 2002 | 2-for-1 |
September
2004 | 2-for-1 |
June 2007 | 2-for-1 |
December 2012 | 2-for-1 |
Gilead Sciences’ share price had risen to an all-time high of $124.08 per share (split adjusted) in October 2025. If the share price continues to rise, Gilead might split its stock again to make shares more accessible to a wider range of investors.
The bottom line
Gilead Sciences stands out as a highly profitable pharmaceutical company with a strong balance sheet, no imminent loss of patent exclusivity, and a promising drug pipeline. These strengths put the company in an excellent position to grow shareholder value. For investors seeking stability, innovation, and long-term growth potential in the biopharma sector, Gilead Sciences is a compelling choice.
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