MetaCap

Guardant Health (GH) vs Illumina (ILMN)

Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.

Summary

Illumina (ILMN) has outperformed Guardant Health (GH) over the past year, gaining 177.0% versus a gain of 165.3%. Over five years, GH leads with a +65.7% price change compared with -32.9% for ILMN. Illumina is the larger company by market cap ($40.43 billion vs $22.59 billion), about 1.8 times the size, while Guardant Health is growing revenue faster (+32.9% vs -0.7%).

Illumina converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 19.6% versus -42.4%.

Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology

Relative performance

GH+165.34%ILMN+176.95%
+214%+99%-16%
Oct 7, 20251 yearOct 7, 2026
GH+61.34%ILMN-32.86%
+80%-6%-92%
Oct 4, 20215 yearsOct 5, 2026

Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.

Head-to-head

GH versus ILMN key metrics
MetricGHILMN
Share price$168.33$267.76
Market cap$22.59B$40.43B
1-day change-1.38%-2.11%
YTD return+64.80%+104.15%
1-year return+165.34%+176.95%
5-year return+65.68%-32.85%
P/E ratio (TTM)—49.96
Forward P/E—43.83
EPS (TTM)$-3.45$5.36
Dividend yield0.00%0.00%
Annual dividend$0.00$0.00
Revenue (latest FY)$982.02M$4.34B
Revenue growth (YoY)+32.88%-0.66%
Net income (latest FY)$-416.28M$850.00M
Gross margin64.46%66.08%
Operating margin-44.53%18.58%
Net margin-42.39%19.57%
52-week high$191.05$309.35
52-week low$61.00$88.00
Distance from 52-week high-11.89%-13.44%
Analyst consensusstrong_buybuy
Avg. price target upside+18.72%-16.40%
Average volume2.01M2.66M
Shares outstanding134.20M151.00M
Employees2,4908,600
SectorHealth CareHealth Care
IndustryMedical SpecialitiesMedical Specialities

Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.

Key differences

  • ILMN has outperformed GH by 11.6 percentage points over the past year.
  • Illumina is more profitable, keeping 19.6 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus -42.4 cents for Guardant Health.
  • Guardant Health grew revenue faster in its latest fiscal year (+32.88% vs -0.66%).

About Guardant Health

GH stock →

Guardant Health, Inc., a precision oncology company, provides blood and tissue tests, and data sets in the United States and internationally. The company offers Guardant360 CDx test, a liquid biopsy test for tumor mutation profiling; Guardant360 Liquid test, which measures 740+ genes and supports all guideline-recommended biomarkers; Guardant Reveal test, a blood test that utilizes circulating tumor DNA to detect cancer at the molecular level; and Guardant360 Tissue test, a molecular profiling test for tumor tissue that provides genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic insights.

Health Care · Medical Specialities · 2,490 employees

About Illumina

ILMN stock →

Illumina, Inc. provides sequencing- and array-based solutions for genetic and genomic analysis in the Americas, Europe, Greater China, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

Health Care · Medical Specialities · 8,600 employees

GH vs ILMN FAQ

Which is bigger, Guardant Health or Illumina?

Illumina (ILMN) is larger, with a market capitalization of $40.43B compared with $22.59B for Guardant Health (GH).

Which stock has performed better over the past year, GH or ILMN?

ILMN returned +176.95% over the past 12 months, compared with +165.34% for GH (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.

Are Guardant Health and Illumina in the same industry?

Yes. Both are classified in the Medical Specialities industry within the Health Care sector.

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