Gilead Sciences, Inc. vs Altria Group Inc — how do they compare? Gilead Sciences, Inc. trades at $135.99 (market cap $164.99B), while Altria Group Inc trades at $65.16 (market cap $114.13B). The key difference: Gilead Sciences, Inc. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Altria Group Inc pays the higher dividend (6.2%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| GILD | MO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $164.99B | $114.13B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $155.80 | $74.92 |
52-Week Low | $110.56 | $54.72 |
Enterprise Value | $188.06B | $136.34B |
Dividend Yield | 2.47% | 6.2% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Gilead Sciences (GILD) trades at $133.21, up 1.8% in the last session, with a bullish technical outlook and strong analyst support. Recent Q2 2026 results showed a revenue beat despite a net loss driven by acquisition costs, with HIV drug sales and pipeline progress fueling raised full-year guidance. The stock exhibits robust cash flow from operations and a high gross margin, though negative net income and elevated debt levels present fundamental concerns.
The outlook is positive based on raised sales guidance and pipeline momentum, but risks include patent cliffs for key HIV drugs by the mid-2030s and integration challenges from recent acquisitions. With a consensus price target of $151.22 implying 13.5% upside, Wall Street sentiment is bullish, though investors should weigh growth prospects against execution and regulatory risks.
Altria Group (MO) trades at $68.35, up 0.89% with mixed technical signals showing bearish moving averages but oversold RSI levels. The company maintains strong profitability with 39% net income margin and $6.95B net income for 2025, though revenue declined slightly to $20.14B. Recent earnings show alternating beats and misses, with Q3 2026 results pending. Analyst consensus remains bullish with 61.5% buy ratings and $71.50 price target, while the stock offers a 6.3% dividend yield with 56 consecutive annual increases expected.
MO presents value opportunity with 14.4x P/E ratio and strong cash flow generation, but faces headwinds from cigarette volume declines and regulatory pressures. The smoke-free product transition shows progress but remains early stage. Current price near support at $67 suggests limited downside, while analyst targets indicate 4.6% upside potential. Key risks include litigation exposure and slower-than-expected diversification from traditional tobacco products.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Gilead Sciences develops and markets therapies to treat life-threatening infectious diseases, with the core of its portfolio focused on HIV and hepatitis B and C. The acquisitions of Corus Pharma, Myogen, CV Therapeutics, Arresto Biosciences, and Calistoga have broadened this focus to include pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Gilead's acquisition of Pharmasset brought rights to hepatitis C drug Sovaldi, which is also part of combination drug Harvoni, and the Kite, Forty Seven, and Immunomedics acquisitions boost Gilead's exposure to cell therapy and noncell therapy in oncology.
Read more on GILD →Altria comprises Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, John Middleton, Helix Innovations, and Philip Morris Capital, although the company plans to wind down Philip Morris Capital by the end of 2022. It holds a 10% interest in the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev. Through its tobacco subsidiaries, Altria holds the leading position in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the United States and the number-two spot in machine-made cigars. The company's Marlboro brand is the leading cigarette brand in the U.S. with a 43% share in 2020. Altria holds strategic investments in JUUL Labs (35% economic interest) and Cronos (42%).
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