Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. PACB, popularly known as PacBio, has been gaining from its continued product development. The optimism, led by decent first-quarter results, is expected to contribute further. However, concerns about long purchasing cycles persist.
In the year-to-date period, this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company’s shares have lost 18.1% compared with the 9.3% decline of the industry. The S&P 500 Composite has improved 5.3% in the said time frame.
The renowned global provider of sequencing systems has a market capitalization of $441.1 million. The company projects 22.9% growth for 2025 and expects to maintain its strong performance going forward. PacBio’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and met once, delivering an average surprise of 13.2%.
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Factors Favoring PACB’s Growth
Sequencing Technologies Strengthen Market Leadership: PacBio differentiates itself in the genomics industry through its proprietary HiFi long-read sequencing, based on Single-Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) technology, which enables the high-accuracy, real-time detection of complex genomic structures, such as structural variations, haplotypes, and epigenetic modifications.
The global SMRT market, valued at $2.74 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $4.14 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 5.3%. Additionally, PacBio has expanded its offerings by integrating Sequencing by Binding chemistry with the launch of its Onso system in 2022, a short-read platform delivering ≥90% of bases at Q40+ accuracy, 15 times more precise than traditional sequencing methods. By providing both long-read and short-read technologies, PacBio uniquely serves diverse research and clinical applications while driving down costs and enhancing variant detection.
Robust Product Portfolio Driving Growth: PacBio’s diverse and expanding product portfolio is driving strong adoption across research, clinical, and population genomics markets. The company’s flagship Revio system continues to be the primary growth driver, with 97 units shipped in 2024, bringing the total installed base to nearly 200 customers. Revio’s high-throughput capabilities, enhanced by the recent Spark chemistry upgrade, have significantly improved performance, delivering up to 46% more yield per SMRT Cell and requiring substantially lower DNA input.
Additionally, the introduction of the Vega benchtop platform has opened new avenues for growth by offering a compact, lower-cost system ideal for academic, core facility, and smaller clinical labs. In the first quarter of 2025, 28 Vega systems were shipped, with approximately 50% to new PacBio customers, showcasing the platform’s ability to expand the company’s reach.
Solid Q1 Results: PacBio exited the first quarter of 2025 with better-than-expected results, where both earnings and revenues beat their respective Zacks Consensus Estimate. A robust increase in its Service and other revenues was encouraging. The expansion of the adjusted gross margin and reduction in adjusted operating loss also bode well.
During the quarter, PacBio initiated a company-wide restructuring plan aimed at reducing operating expenses and sharpening its strategic focus on the long-read sequencing business. This initiative is projected to lower annualized adjusted operating expenses by approximately $45 million to $50 million by the end of 2025, streamlining the company's resources toward its core strengths.
A Factor That May Offset the Gains for PACB
Macroeconomic Concerns: PacBio operates in a capital-intensive industry, making it highly sensitive to macroeconomic conditions and global funding trends. Rising interest rates, inflation, and economic slowdowns could further delay purchasing decisions for high-cost sequencing instruments. Additionally, geopolitical risks, including U.S.-China tensions, could impact PacBio’s business in Asia, particularly as China represents a key market for future growth. Any trade restrictions or export limitations could hinder PacBio’s ability to sell sequencing instruments in the region.
Estimate Trend
PacBio has been witnessing a stable estimate revision trend for 2025. Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its adjusted loss per share has remained stable at 64 cents.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues for 2025 is pegged at $155.1 million, indicating a 0.7% increase from the year-ago reported numbers.
Other Key Picks
Some other top-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Hims & Hers Health, Inc. HIMS, Cencora, Inc. COR and Integer Holdings Corporation ITGR.
Hims & Hers, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present, has an estimated long-term growth rate of 36.5%. HIMS’ earnings surpassed estimates in two of the trailing four quarters, missed once and met in the other, the average surprise being 19.6%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Hims & Hers’ shares have surged 99.2% compared with the industry’s 37.1% growth in the past year.
Cencora, carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 at present, has an estimated long-term growth rate of 12.8%. COR’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 6%.
Cencora’s shares have rallied 23.9% against the industry’s 16.9% decline in the past year.
Integer Holdings, carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 at present, has an estimated long-term growth rate of 18.4%. ITGR’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, the average surprise being 2.8%.
Integer Holdings’ shares have gained 4.9% against the industry’s 13% decline in the past year.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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