Core Viewpoint - Investing in dividend stocks requires attention to a company's underlying operations rather than just high yields, with AbbVie and Gilead Sciences being highlighted as strong candidates for income investors [1][2]. Group 1: AbbVie - AbbVie is recognized as a "Dividend King," having raised its payouts for 53 consecutive years, making it a strong consideration for income investors [4]. - The company is well-known for its immunology drugs, particularly Skyrizi and Rinvoq, which have shown unexpectedly rapid sales growth [5][6]. - Following the loss of patent exclusivity for Humira, AbbVie has successfully returned to top-line growth, with a revised 2027 sales guidance for Skyrizi and Rinvoq exceeding $31 billion, up from $27 billion [6]. - AbbVie has a robust pipeline with numerous programs that are expected to lead to further approvals and label expansions, supporting its strong business fundamentals [8]. - The forward yield for AbbVie is over 3.5%, significantly higher than the S&P 500 average of 1.3%, indicating its potential as a long-term dividend stock [8]. Group 2: Gilead Sciences - Gilead Sciences is a leading drugmaker, particularly known for its dominance in the HIV market, with a revenue of $6.7 billion in the first quarter, despite flat overall sales due to lower Veklury sales [9]. - The HIV segment grew by 6% year-over-year, generating $4.6 billion, with Biktarvy being the top prescribed regimen in the U.S. [10]. - Gilead is diversifying its portfolio beyond HIV, with a focus on oncology, where over a third of its 58 pipeline programs are concentrated [12]. - The forward yield for Gilead is 3.2%, and the company has increased its dividends by nearly 84% over the past decade, making it an attractive option for long-term income-seeking investors [13].

Core Insights - The current global trade environment is marked by rising tariffs and tensions, prompting investors to seek stability in defensive sectors that are less impacted by economic fluctuations [1][2] - Large-cap biotech companies with a strong domestic focus, such as Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and AbbVie, are gaining attention as potential defensive investments due to their reliance on the U.S. market [2][3] Biotech Companies Overview - Gilead Sciences derives approximately 70.0% of its Q1 2025 product revenue from the U.S., Amgen generates about 74.7% of its Q4 2024 product sales domestically, and AbbVie obtains roughly 74.8% of its Q1 2025 net revenue from the United States [3][4] - The significant concentration of domestic sales provides a buffer against retaliatory tariffs and economic downturns, as demand for essential medicines tends to be inelastic [4][5] Financial Performance and Stability - Gilead Sciences has a market capitalization of around $132.66 billion, with a year-to-date stock gain of 15.3% and a low Beta of approximately 0.32, indicating defensive characteristics [11][13] - Amgen, valued at approximately $156.41 billion, reported a positive year-to-date performance of +11.6% and a Beta of 0.59, suggesting lower volatility [15][16] - AbbVie has a market capitalization of roughly $345.22 billion, achieving a 9.8% operational revenue increase in Q1 2025, with a forward P/E ratio of about 15.85 [18][19] Policy Environment - Recent U.S. government policy shifts are creating a supportive environment for domestic biotech companies, focusing on onshoring and reshoring manufacturing to enhance supply chain resilience [6][8] - Strategies include financial incentives, direct government investments, and prioritizing domestically produced medicines through 'Buy American' initiatives [7][8] Investment Appeal - The combination of strong cash flows, healthy dividends, and low Beta scores makes U.S.-focused biotech companies appealing during uncertain times [21][20] - Analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus on Gilead and AbbVie, while Amgen is rated as a Hold, reflecting confidence in their defensive qualities amidst market volatility [11][19][15]

Core Insights - Gilead Sciences reported a mixed first quarter, with a revenue of $6.67 billion, remaining flat compared to the same quarter of 2024, leading to a decline in share price by over 2% [1][2][4] Revenue Performance - The revenue of $6.67 billion was attributed to declines in sales of the COVID drug Veklury and oncology products, which were offset by improvements in liver disease and HIV medications [2] - Analysts had projected revenue of $6.78 billion, indicating that Gilead's performance fell short of expectations [4] Profitability - Gilead achieved a non-GAAP net income of just under $2.3 billion, or $1.81 per share, a significant turnaround from a loss of $1.6 billion in the previous year [3] - The first quarter results were impacted by the acquisition of CymaBay Therapeutics and a $2.4 billion impairment related to a previous deal with Immunomedics [3] Guidance Adjustments - Gilead revised its full-year earnings per share guidance for 2025 to a range of $5.65 to $6.05, down from the previous forecast of $5.95 to $6.35, which disappointed some investors [5] - The adjusted profitability estimate remained unchanged at $7.70 to $8.10 per share, with revenue expectations still set at $28.2 billion to $28.6 billion [5]

Core Viewpoint - Gilead Sciences, Inc. reported disappointing first-quarter 2025 results, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.81 and total revenues of $6.7 billion, both missing consensus estimates [1][2][3] Financial Performance - Adjusted EPS of $1.81 missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny, compared to a loss per share of $1.32 in the same quarter last year [1] - Total revenues of $6.7 billion were flat year over year and missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.8 billion [1] - Total product sales decreased 1% year over year to $6.6 billion, while excluding Veklury, product sales increased 4% to $6.3 billion [3] Product Sales Breakdown - HIV product sales grew 6% year over year to $4.6 billion, exceeding both the Zacks Consensus Estimate and model estimate of $4.5 billion [3] - Biktarvy sales increased 7% year over year to $3.15 billion but missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.2 billion [4] - Descovy sales surged 38% year over year to $586 million, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $479 million [5] - Liver Disease portfolio sales rose 3% to $758 million, driven by higher demand for HBV and HDV drugs [6] - Veklury sales plummeted 45% to $302 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $387 million [7] - Cell Therapy product sales decreased 3% to $464 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $491 million [7] Cost and Margin Analysis - Adjusted product gross margin slightly increased to 85.5% from 85.4% in the year-ago quarter [11] - Research and development expenses totaled $1.3 billion, down from $1.4 billion in the previous year [11] - SG&A expenses amounted to $1.2 billion, down from $1.3 billion [11] Dividend and Guidance - Gilead declared a quarterly dividend of $0.79 per share for Q2 2025, payable on June 27, 2025 [12] - The company reiterated its 2025 guidance, projecting product sales between $28.2 billion and $28.6 billion, with adjusted EPS anticipated in the range of $7.70-$8.10 [13] Pipeline Updates - The FDA accepted new drug application submissions for lenacapavir for HIV prevention, with a target action date of June 19, 2025 [14] - Gilead received conditional marketing authorization for seladelpar for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis [14] Overall Performance Assessment - Gilead's first-quarter results were disappointing, particularly due to a decline in oncology drugs affecting revenue growth [15] - Despite challenges, Biktarvy maintained its dominant position in the HIV market, and Descovy showed strong performance [15] - The potential approval of lenacapavir could further strengthen Gilead's HIV franchise amid increasing competition [16]