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what it is
Guardant sells blood tests that help doctors find, track, and screen for cancer without cutting out tissue first.
how it gets paid
Last year Guardant Health made $982M in revenue.
why it's growing
Revenue grew 32.9% last year. Sales still grew 39% in the quarter, driven by oncology and screening.
what just happened
Quarterly revenue hit $281.3M, but EPS came in at -$1.00 versus the -$0.74 estimate.
At a glance
C++ balance sheet — some cracks in the foundation
50/100 earnings predictability — expect surprises
3.5% return on capital — nothing to write home about
xvary composite: 21/100 — weak
-$2.10 fy2027 eps est
What they do
Guardant sells blood tests that help doctors find, track, and screen for cancer without cutting out tissue first.
A blood draw is easier on you than a tissue biopsy, and easier usually wins. Oncology volumes reached about 79,000 tests, up 38%, which shows doctors are already building the habit. Guardant's edge is simple: if your easier test still gives useful tumor clues, adoption compounds.
How they make money
$982M
annual revenue · their business grew +32.9% last year
total revenue
$982M
+32.9%
The products that matter
colorectal cancer blood screening
Shield
approved in 2024 · medicare covered
this is the product the stock is really paying for, even though the page does not disclose standalone Shield revenue and total company revenue last year was $982M.
the growth bet
blood-based oncology testing
Precision oncology tests
$982M company revenue base
this is still the operating base today, and total company revenue grew 32.9% last year while this business funded the push into screening.
current engine
clinical data and software tools
Oncology data platform
no standalone revenue disclosed here
the disclosure is thin, so we will keep it that way: you know Guardant is trying to turn a $982M testing business into a broader oncology platform, but this page does not give clean segment economics.
thin disclosure
Key numbers
24.5%
sales growth
Projected sales growth is 24.5%. Plain English: revenue is still climbing fast. So what: Guardant needs that speed because a -44.5% operating margin leaves no room for a slowdown.
$2.0B
2029 sales goal
The FY2029 revenue estimate is $2.0 billion versus $982 million today. Plain English: the bull case needs revenue to roughly double. So what: if screening stalls, the whole valuation looks too rich.
44.5%
operating margin
Operating margin means profit after running the business. Plain English: Guardant loses about 45 cents for every $1 of sales at the operating line. So what: growth alone is not enough.
$1.1B
long-term debt
Long-term debt is money the company owes over years. Plain English: Guardant has a real balance-sheet burden while it is still losing money. So what: financing risk does not disappear just because revenue is growing.
Financial health
C++
strength
- balance sheet grade C++ — below average — limited financial resources
- risk rank 5 — safer than 5% of stocks
- price stability 5 / 100
- long-term debt $1.1B (8% of capital)
- net profit margin 3.5% — keeps 4 cents of every dollar in revenue
- return on equity 17% — $0.17 profit for every $1 investors have put in
C++ — below average. watch for debt servicing and cash burn.
Total return vs. market
You invested $10,000 in GH 3 years ago → it's now worth $37,660.
The index would have given you $13,880.
source: institutional data · total return
What just happened
missed estimates
Quarterly revenue hit $281.3M, but EPS came in at -$1.00 versus the -$0.74 estimate.
Sales still grew 39% in the quarter, driven by oncology and screening. The problem is simple: fast revenue growth did not stop a clear earnings miss.
$281.3M
revenue
$1.00
eps
64.6%
gross margin
the number that mattered
The miss versus estimates matters most because this stock is priced for clean execution, and -$1.00 versus -$0.74 is a 35% shortfall.
-
guardant health likely demonstrated continued momentum in the december interim. (results were due shortly after this report went to press.) leadership provided preliminary unaudited results projecting total revenue of approximately $280 million, representing 39% growth over the year-ago period.
-
the company has registered remarkably consistent revenue gains, and appears on track for a 15th-consecutive period of sequential revenue growth.guardant’s expanded product offering, coupled with operational excellence, continues to drive revenue.
-
oncology volumes likely remained strong, with approximately 79,000 tests performed, representing an increase of 38%.accordingly, we expect strong contributions from guardant360 liquid, guardant360 tissue, and reveal. turning to screening, the shield blood test that detects colorectal cancer (crc) in adults aged 45 and older, continues to gain traction. in its fifth full quarter post-launch, approximately 38,000 tests were delivered, up sequentially from 24,000.
-
guardant has established leadership in the blood-based colorectal cancer screeening market.
-
since fda approval, nearly 100,000 patients have been screened with shield, with a 93% patient adherence rate, positioning it as one of the most successful diagnostic launches to date.guardant is currently expanding shield to include multi-cancer detection findings, further enhancing the clinical value of the platform for patients and physicians. this comes in the wake of an accelerated commercial infrastructure build that includes collaborations with quest diagnostics and pathgroup to broaden access throughout the country.
source: company earnings report, 2026
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What could go wrong
the #1 risk here is Shield adoption failing to scale fast enough for a ~$12B stock. Guardant is trying to commercialize screening, defend its technology, and keep financing optional at the same time.
med
screening adoption disappoints
Shield carries the narrative, but this page still does not show standalone Shield revenue. If adoption lags, the market loses the cleanest reason to pay growth-stock prices today.
the stock is priced off a company that produced $982M in revenue last year and still carries a FY2027 EPS estimate of -$2.10.
med
capital needs stay in the frame
The shelf filing does not guarantee dilution. It does tell you financing flexibility still matters, which is not what you want to hear from a stock already valued for future success.
with a C++ balance sheet and $1.1B of long-term debt, Guardant has less room for error than cash-rich healthcare peers.
med
patent fights turn into commercial friction
The Tempus AI case is a reminder that liquid biopsy is not an empty field. If legal costs rise or competition pressures pricing, revenue can keep growing while economics stay messy.
current risk feeds flag about $246M of combined revenue exposure across identified issues, which is meaningful against a $982M revenue base.
med
expectations outrun execution
The stock has traded between $31 and $121 over the last 52 weeks and now sits at $104.85. When the market pays near the top half of the range, good news has to stay very good.
the three- to five-year target midpoint on this page is $90, which sits below the current price and leaves little valuation cushion.
about $246M of flagged revenue exposure sits against a $982M revenue base, and the bigger issue is timing: commercialization has to show up before financing does.
source: institutional data · regulatory filings · risk analysis
Pay attention to
earnings
the next report has to show more than a headline beat
Q4 2025 revenue was $281.27M. You want evidence that screening demand is turning into repeatable revenue, not just another fast-growth quarter.
metric
revenue progress against the $2B FY2029 story
Consensus points to $2B of revenue by FY2029, up from $982M last year. If that path bends down, the multiple has less to stand on.
risk
capital flexibility after the shelf filing
You do not need an offering for this to matter. The filing itself tells you the balance sheet is still part of the thesis.
trend
whether the patent fight stays legal noise or becomes a business cost
If the case stays contained, the market moves on. If it spreads into pricing pressure or launch friction, your risk profile changes with it.
Analyst rankings
earnings predictability
50 / 100
middle of the pack. in human-speak, analysts do not trust this business to print clean, boring quarters yet.
street profit view
-$2.10
that is the FY2027 EPS estimate. Translation: the street sees scale first and profits later.
source: institutional data
Institutional activity
institutions have been net buying for 3 consecutive quarters — 197 buyers vs. 172 sellers in 3q2025. total institutional holdings: 0.1B shares. net buying for 3 quarters.
source: institutional data
Price targets
3-5 year target range
$34
$145
$105
current price
$90
target midpoint · 14% from current · 3-5yr high: $140 (+10% · 3% ann'l return)
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