Gilead’s 0.89% Surge Despite 108th Volume Rank as Yeztugo Drives Optimism

On August 11, 2025, Gilead Sciences (GILD) closed up 0.89% with a trading volume of $0.84 billion, a 46.22% decline from the previous day. The stock ranked 108th in terms of volume, reflecting mixed short-term liquidity dynamics.

Recent performance was driven by a strong earnings report and upgraded guidance. Gilead raised its 2025 sales forecast to $28.3–28.7 billion, citing robust HIV product growth. Second-quarter revenue of $7.1 billion exceeded estimates, with Biktarvy and Descovy contributing 9% and 35% year-on-year gains, respectively. The launch of Yeztugo, a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection, has generated significant demand, prompting analyst upgrades and price target hikes from Truist, Morgan Stanley, and BMO.

Analysts highlighted Yeztugo’s potential to reshape HIV treatment, with early adoption metrics exceeding typical benchmarks. CEO Daniel O’Day emphasized the drug’s transformative impact, while Truist called Gilead’s HIV portfolio “best-in-class.” Despite challenges in the cell therapy segment, optimism remains around Anitocel and Trodelvy’s expansion into breast cancer.

The strategy of purchasing the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day delivered a 166.71% return from 2022 to the present, outperforming the benchmark return of 29.18% by 137.53%. This underscores the role of liquidity concentration in short-term stock performance, particularly in volatile markets.