DNA vs GH: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
GH is the larger of the two ($21.74B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (-367.58x forward earnings, beta 1.59). DNA is the smaller challenger ($528.48M), priced similarly on forward earnings (-2.52x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
DNA vs GH: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | DNA | GH | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $528.48M | $21.74B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | -2.52 | -367.58 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Beta | 1.78 | 1.59 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 22% of range | 89% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
Before you buy: how DNA and GH affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. DNA and GH share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined DNA and GH exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings (DNA) do?
Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) is a synthetic-biology company built around a horizontal cell-programming platform. Historically it reported in two segments: Cell Engineering, where its automated Foundry labs and Datapoints data service engineer and characterize cells for pharma, agriculture, food, and industrial customers; and Biosecurity, which provided pathogen monitoring and bioinformatics to governments and institutions. Cell Engineering revenue is generated through R&D service fees, its Datapoints biological-data offerings, and design, build, and support fees for its lab-automation (RAC) systems. Ginkgo went public via SPAC in 2021 at a lofty valuation that has since collapsed.
What does Guardant Health (GH) do?
Guardant Health is a precision-oncology company that reads cancer signals from blood and tissue samples. Its business runs across three lines. Oncology, the largest, sells tests like Guardant360 (comprehensive genomic profiling that helps match patients to targeted therapies) and Guardant Reveal (a blood test for minimal residual disease, meaning traces of cancer left after treatment). Biopharma and Data sells testing, companion-diagnostic development, and real-world data to drugmakers. Screening is the newest and most-watched line: Shield is the first blood test to win full FDA approval as a primary screening option for colorectal cancer in average-risk adults 45 and older. In Q1 2026 the company reported ~$302 million in revenue, with oncology up 36% to ~$205 million on ~86,000 tests, biopharma and data at ~$53 million, and screening at ~$41.6 million on ~44,000 Shield tests (versus ~$5.7 million a year earlier).
DNA vs GH: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- DNA drivers: AI, autonomous labs, and Datapoints; Cost restructuring toward breakeven.
- GH drivers: Shield colorectal screening ramp; Core oncology growth and leverage.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The dominant risk is cash burn against an uncertain path to profitability: Ginkgo remains deeply unprofitable, revenue has kept falling year over year, and it is spending down its cash while promising breakeven that has not yet arrived. For GH, guardant is unprofitable and cash-consumptive, so it depends on the Shield launch converting into durable, reimbursed volume rather than one-off wins.
DNA or GH: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick DNA if you believe its drivers more; GH if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the DNA and GH guides.
DNA vs GH: the full fundamentals
DNA. These are qualitative descriptions, not precise figures, and they are tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. Traditional earnings multiples do not apply to Ginkgo because it is unprofitable, so what matters is the trajectory of revenue, losses, cash burn, and progress toward the stated breakeven target. Because the company is pre-profit and pivoting its model, its valuation reflects belief in a future that has not yet been proven.
GH. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. GH trades on a high price-to-sales multiple typical of a fast-growing, pre-profit diagnostics company, so the valuation is driven by expected future growth rather than current earnings. The share price is volatile and moved sharply in mid-2026 on reimbursement news (including a July 2026 UnitedHealth coverage decision for Shield), which is why the timeline to 2027 cash-flow breakeven and the pace of Shield adoption matter more than any single quarter.
Headline figures (approximate, Jul 2026): DNA shows revenue (ttm) Small and declining; Cell Engineering revenue fell year over year, and recent quarterly revenue dropped sharply versus the prior-year period, net loss / adjusted ebitda Still loss-making; large GAAP net losses continue, though narrower than before, with adjusted-EBITDA breakeven targeted by end of 2026, cash position Several hundred million dollars in cash and marketable securities, funding operations while the company burns cash under its restructuring plan, path to profitability Management guides to adjusted-EBITDA breakeven by the end of 2026 via cost cuts; sustained GAAP profitability is not yet in sight; GH shows revenue (q1 2026 quarterly) ~$302 million, up 48% year over year, 2026 revenue guidance (full year) ~$1.30 to $1.32 billion (~32 to 34% growth), adjusted ebitda (q1 2026) ~-$59 million loss (still unprofitable), cash and equivalents ~$1.2 billion at quarter end.
The bottom line: DNA vs GH
DNA and GH are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined DNA and GH exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how DNA or GH fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how DNA fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between DNA and GH?
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Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. Guardant Health is a precision-oncology company that reads cancer signals from blood and tissue samples. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is DNA or GH the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. GH is the larger incumbent; DNA is the smaller challenger and looks pricier on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, DNA or GH?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), DNA trades at -2.52x and GH at -367.58x, so GH is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both DNA and GH?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of DNA vs GH?
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DNA: The dominant risk is cash burn against an uncertain path to profitability: Ginkgo remains deeply unprofitable, revenue has kept falling year over year, and it is spending down its cash while promising breakeven that has not yet arrived. If losses persist, further capital raises could dilute existing shareholders, and the company already completed a 1-for-40 reverse split after its post-SPAC valuation collapsed by billions, a reminder of how far expectations have reset. Customer concentration is a concern because a handful of large partners can drive results, and losing or delaying programs hits revenue hard. Competition spans synthetic-biology, lab-automation, and bio-AI players with more focus or funding. Execution risk on the autonomous-lab pivot is high, and the stock is speculative and volatile, so outcomes could be very good or very poor. GH: Guardant is unprofitable and cash-consumptive, so it depends on the Shield launch converting into durable, reimbursed volume rather than one-off wins. Reimbursement is the central swing factor: coverage decisions, guideline inclusion, and per-test pricing (the $1,495 Medicare rate, private payer terms) can move sharply and are outside the company's control. Competition is intense from Exact Sciences (Cologuard in colorectal screening), Natera (minimal residual disease), and Roche's Foundation Medicine (genomic profiling), which pressures pricing and share. Shield's clinical sensitivity, roughly 84% overall but lower for early-stage and precancerous lesions, invites scrutiny versus colonoscopy. The stock also trades at a high price-to-sales multiple, so any slip in growth or the breakeven timeline can trigger large swings.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell DNA or GH; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.