Here's How Much Investing $100 In Gilead Sciences Stock Back In 2010 Would Be Worth Today

Investors who owned stocks in the 2010s generally experienced some big gains. In fact, the SPDR S&P 500 SPY total return for the decade was 250.5%. But there’s no question some big-name stocks did much better than others along the way.

Gilead’s Big Decade

One strong performer of the last decade was biopharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences, Inc. GILD.

Gilead’s decade was defined by several key drugs and acquisitions. In 2011, Gilead acquired Pharmasset for $10.4 billion, its largest buyout ever up to that point. The acquisition paved the way for a 2013 FDA approval of hepatitis C drug Sovaldi in 2013. Forbes later described the Pharmasset buyout as “one of the best pharma acquisitions ever” due to the success of Sovaldi.

In 2014, Gilead was investigated by the United States Senate Committee on Finance to to Sovaldi’s high price, which was about $1,000 per pill or $84,000 for the full 12-week treatment regimen.

In 2017, Gilead made another blockbuster deal, acquiring Kite Pharma and its promising CAR-T candidate for $11.9 billion.

COVID-19 Impact

Gilead has also been in the news in 2020 due to the potential of its remdesivir in treating COVID-19.

Gilead started the 2010s trading at around $45. Within months, the stock had dropped to $31.73, its low point of the 2010s. From that point through mid-2015, Gilead shares caught fire, reaching their all-time high of $123.37 before stalling out. Gilead’s rally continued through a two-to-one stock split in 2013.

Over the past four years, Gilead shares have traded mostly sideways in a wide trading range between around $60 and $90.

See Also: Gilead's Remdesivir Reaches Goal In NIAID-Sponsored Coronavirus Trial

2020 And Beyond

After finishing the 2010s at around $65, Gilead shares have taken off in 2020 due to its potential in producing a COVID-19 treatment.

Unfortunately, the stock has taken a nosedive thanks to COVID-19, dropping to a new multi-year low of $68 before bouncing back to around $82.

Gilead volume has skyrocketed, and the stock is now once again trading at around $80.

Despite a lackluster past five years, $100 worth of Gilead stock in 2010 would be worth $457 today, assuming reinvested dividends.

Looking ahead, analysts don’t seem too optimistic about Gilead's break-out potential. The average price target among the 24 analysts covering the stock is $77.50, suggesting about 3% downside from current levels.