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Friday, UBS reiterated a Buy rating on Guardant Health (NASDAQ:GH) stock, maintaining a $40.00 price target. The firm named Guardant Health as its top pick in the Life Sciences & Diagnostic Tools group. UBS analyst Dan Leonard highlighted the company's underappreciated catalyst path, which includes the ramp-up of its Shield test in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.
Leonard noted that Guardant Health will begin to disclose volumes for its Shield CRC screening test with the release of its fourth-quarter results, scheduled for February 20, 2025. A recent survey conducted by UBS on CRC screening indicated a greater commercial opportunity for the Shield test than previously anticipated. This potential aligns with the company's impressive 29.2% revenue growth over the last twelve months.
InvestingPro subscribers can access 8 additional key insights about Guardant Health's growth prospects and financial health metrics. The survey, which included responses from 50 physicians, predicted that blood-based CRC screening tests could capture about 10% market share in the next one to two years. This expectation is more than double the Street's forecasts, according to Leonard.
The analyst also pointed out several additional catalysts for the Shield test that could prove to be favorable. These include potential pricing upside and the inclusion in medical society guidelines. Leonard expressed the view that the perceived risks related to Exact Sciences (NASDAQ:EXAS)' competing blood-based CRC screening data, expected in the second quarter, are overestimated.
Lastly, Leonard anticipates expanded Medicare reimbursement for Guardant Health's Reveal test, which is used for detecting minimal residual disease (MRD). The expansion is expected to occur in the first half of 2025, which could further support the company's growth trajectory. The company maintains a strong liquidity position with a current ratio of 6.22, though it remains unprofitable with an EBITDA of -$386.31 million in the last twelve months.
In other recent news, Guardant Health has been the focus of several key developments. The precision oncology company reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2024, indicating it may have met its expectations for the quarter. In addition, Guardant Health announced a partnership with pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim to seek regulatory approval for Guardant360® CDx, a liquid biopsy test, as a companion diagnostic for zongertinib, Boehringer's investigational drug for non-small cell lung cancer.
Analysts from Jefferies and Piper Sandler have maintained their Buy and Overweight ratings respectively on Guardant Health, with Jefferies keeping a price target of $42 and Piper Sandler sticking to a target of $34. Both firms highlighted Guardant Health's impressive revenue growth of 29.2% over the last twelve months. Jefferies noted the company's inclusion in the Vanguard study, and an anticipated slight increase in costs, likely in research and development, during the study period.
Furthermore, Guardant Health is expected to pre-announce its fourth-quarter results soon, providing preliminary insights into revenues and volumes, as well as updates on its product pipeline. The market is particularly interested in the Shield product, anticipating approximately $25 million in Shield revenues for 2025. Guardant Health's Reveal product could also see a significant uptick if it secures surveillance reimbursement and applies for Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory Test status.
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