Pharma Stock Surges on Beat-and-Raise

Group 1 - Gilead Sciences Inc reported a strong fourth-quarter earnings beat with earnings per share (EPS) of $1.90, exceeding analyst estimates by 11.7$7.57 billion, a 6.4% year-over-year increase [1] - The company provided solid fiscal 2025 guidance, forecasting revenue of $28.4 billion and adjusted EPS of$7.90, slightly above analyst projections [1] - Gilead increased its quarterly dividend to 79 cents per share [1] Group 2 - Following the earnings report, eight brokerages raised their price targets for Gilead, with Morgan Stanley setting the highest target at $124, up from$113 [2] - Despite strong fundamentals, 12 out of 29 analysts still rate Gilead stock as a "hold," with a consensus 12-month price target of $102.86, indicating a slim discount to current levels [2] - The stock has shown momentum, potentially challenging its nearly nine-year high of$101.51 reached on February 5, having gained 42.1% over the last nine months since a low of $62.07 on May 31 [3] Group 3 - Gilead's stock has a Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) ranking of 84 out of 100, indicating that it has tended to exceed options traders' volatility expectations over the past 12 months [3]