Overview
Canaccord Genuity raised its price target on Guardant Health (NASDAQ:GH) to $135 from $125 and reaffirmed a Buy rating, pointing to higher revenue assumptions in the later years of the firm’s 10-year discounted cash flow model. At the time of the update the stock was trading at $106.38, reflecting a 124% gain over the prior 12 months, though InvestingPro analysis flagged that shares may be trading above the service's Fair Value estimate.
Quarterly results and key metrics
Guardant Health released fourth-quarter 2025 results after the market close on February 19, with figures essentially matching the company’s preannouncement in January. The company recorded $35.1 million in Shield revenue in Q4 2025.
Management’s 2026 guidance includes an expectation for Shield revenue to grow 111% year-over-year at the midpoint. For total revenue, Guardant forecasted a range of $1.25 billion to $1.28 billion for 2026, and anticipates core oncology revenue to expand 25% to 27% year-over-year.
Company commentary attributed performance to solid oncology growth, aided by broader indications such as G360 Tissue, in addition to increased Shield test volumes. Despite revenue growth, Guardant reported a cash outflow of approximately $54 million in Q4 2025.
Cash flow path and balance sheet
Canaccord Genuity estimates Guardant Health is on track to reach cash flow breakeven by the fourth quarter of 2027 and suggested that current share prices do not fully reflect the company’s long-term growth potential. Separately, InvestingPro noted that analysts do not expect Guardant to be profitable in the current year, while highlighting the company’s liquidity position, with liquid assets exceeding short-term obligations.
Regulatory, clinical and research developments
Guardant reported preliminary fourth-quarter 2025 results that topped both Canaccord Genuity’s own projections and the FactSet consensus, driven by marked increases in Oncology and Shield test volumes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Guardant360 CDx as a companion diagnostic to identify patients with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer who could be treated with encorafenib and cetuximab.
In addition, a large-scale study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that Guardant Health’s circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood test more accurately predicts cancer recurrence and survival for stage III colon cancer patients than conventional methods.
Analyst activity
Other brokerage notes include Baird initiating coverage with an Outperform rating and a $120 price target. Canaccord Genuity was also listed elsewhere as reiterating a Buy rating with a $125 price target, and Stifel raised its price target from $100 to $120 while maintaining a Buy rating. These analyst actions reflect a generally optimistic view on Guardant’s prospects in precision oncology.
Implications
The combination of upgraded long-term revenue assumptions, regulatory progress for Guardant360 CDx and supporting clinical data contributed to the analysts’ more constructive outlook. However, the company’s ongoing cash burn and the absence of expected profitability in the near term remain material factors for investors to weigh.
Summary of reported facts
- Canaccord Genuity raised its price target to $135 from $125 and maintained a Buy rating.
- Guardant Health stock was trading at $106.38 and had risen 124% over the past year.
- Guardant reported Q4 2025 results in line with its January preannouncement and recorded $35.1 million in Shield revenue in Q4.
- 2026 guidance: Shield revenue midpoint implies 111% year-over-year growth; total revenue expected between $1.25 billion and $1.28 billion; core oncology revenue growth projected at 25% to 27% year-over-year.
- Q4 2025 cash burn was approximately $54 million.
- Canaccord projects cash flow breakeven by Q4 2027 and believes shares may underappreciate long-term growth potential.
- Regulatory approval: FDA cleared Guardant360 CDx as a companion diagnostic for BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer for use with encorafenib and cetuximab.
- Clinical evidence: A large-scale Journal of Clinical Oncology study reported that Guardant’s ctDNA test predicts recurrence and survival more accurately than traditional approaches in stage III colon cancer.
- Other analyst notes: Baird initiated Outperform with a $120 target; Canaccord was also reported as reiterating Buy with $125; Stifel raised its target to $120 from $100 and kept a Buy rating.