GH vs TEM: How Guardant Health and Tempus AI Compare (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). TEM is the smaller challenger ($7.92B), priced similarly on forward earnings (-907.72x): 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.
GH vs TEM: 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 | GH | TEM | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $21.74B | $7.92B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | -367.58 | -907.72 | 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 | 1.59 | 3.46 | 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 | 89% of range | 5% 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 GH and TEM 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. GH and TEM 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 GH and TEM 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 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).
What does Tempus AI (TEM) do?
Tempus AI (NASDAQ: TEM) is a Chicago-based technology company that applies artificial intelligence to precision medicine, primarily in oncology but increasingly across cardiology, neuropsychiatry, and hereditary conditions. It operates two interconnected business lines: a diagnostics segment that performs next-generation sequencing (NGS), PCR profiling, molecular pathology, and hereditary genetic tests through CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified laboratories, charging on a per-test basis; and a Data and Applications segment that licenses de-identified, linked clinical, molecular, and imaging datasets to life sciences companies (Insights), offers clinical trial matching (Trials), and deploys AI-powered algorithm products for physicians (Algos) and an AI platform called Next. Approximately 95% of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies use Tempus data or trial services, and the platform has integrations across more than 7,000 physicians and hundreds of research partners, creating a self-reinforcing network where clinical volume generates data that improves AI models and attracts more customers.
GH vs TEM: 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.
- GH drivers: Shield colorectal screening ramp; Core oncology growth and leverage.
- TEM drivers: Explosive Revenue Growth with a Clear Path to Profitability; Data Licensing as a High-Margin Flywheel.
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: Guardant is unprofitable and cash-consumptive, so it depends on the Shield launch converting into durable, reimbursed volume rather than one-off wins. For TEM, tempus remains unprofitable on a GAAP basis, with a full-year 2025 net loss of $245 million (which included $136 million in stock-based compensation), and the path to sustained GAAP profitability is long; Q1 2026 showed a net loss of $125.9 million, widening 85% year-over-year, and EPS missed analyst estimates by 34%.
GH or TEM: 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 GH if you believe its drivers more; TEM 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 GH and TEM guides.
GH vs TEM: the full fundamentals
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.
TEM. Tempus trades at roughly 6.6 times trailing twelve-month revenue, a premium that reflects the market pricing in a future where its data-licensing flywheel generates high-margin recurring revenue at scale. The P/E ratio is not meaningful today because the company is not yet GAAP profitable, but consensus estimates suggest the first meaningful earnings could arrive by 2028, and the company's own guidance calls for positive Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $65 million in 2026. The gross margin of approximately 63% is already at software-like levels and has expanded significantly as the higher-margin Data and Applications segment grows faster than diagnostics.
Headline figures (approximate, July 2026): 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; TEM shows revenue (fy2025, reported) ~$1.27 billion, revenue (ttm, as of q1 2026) ~$1.36 billion, q1 2026 revenue (most recent quarter) ~$348 million (up 36% YoY), gross margin (fy2025) ~63%.
The bottom line: GH vs TEM
GH and TEM 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 GH and TEM exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how GH or TEM 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 Guardant Health with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how GH 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 GH and TEM?
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Guardant Health is a precision-oncology company that reads cancer signals from blood and tissue samples. Tempus AI (NASDAQ: TEM) is a Chicago-based technology company that applies artificial intelligence to precision medicine, primarily in oncology but increasingly across cardiology, neuropsychiatry, and hereditary conditions. 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 GH or TEM the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. GH is the larger incumbent; TEM is the smaller challenger and looks cheaper 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, GH or TEM?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), GH trades at -367.58x and TEM at -907.72x, so TEM 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 GH and TEM?
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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 GH vs TEM?
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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. TEM: Tempus remains unprofitable on a GAAP basis, with a full-year 2025 net loss of $245 million (which included $136 million in stock-based compensation), and the path to sustained GAAP profitability is long; Q1 2026 showed a net loss of $125.9 million, widening 85% year-over-year, and EPS missed analyst estimates by 34%. Reimbursement risk is material: a significant portion of Tempus's diagnostics revenue depends on favorable coverage decisions from CMS and private payers, and adverse rulings on NGS tests or laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) could reduce revenue per test sharply. Regulatory scrutiny of LDTs by the FDA, ongoing data privacy obligations under HIPAA, and the risk that competitors such as Guardant Health, Illumina, Roche, or PathAI develop comparable datasets or lower-priced tests could compress both volume growth and pricing power over time.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell GH or TEM; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.