We recently published a list of the 12 Best Diagnostics Stocks to Invest In Right Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS) stands against the other best diagnostics stocks to invest in right now.
Overview of the Clinical Diagnostics Market
According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the clinical diagnostics market has a size of $88.79 billion as of 2025. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.48% between 2025 and 2030, reaching $115.94 billion at the end of the forecast period. While North America is the largest market in the domain at present, Asia-Pacific takes the lead as the fastest growing.
As per Grand View Research, the growth in the global clinical diagnostics industry is attributed to the rising demand for lab automation and the development of specialized tests for disease management and early disease detection. In addition, the growing use of point-of-care diagnostics products has also driven a decentralization trend in the healthcare industry.
READ ALSO: 7 Most Undervalued Biotech Stocks To Invest In and 11 Best Pharma Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds.
AI in Diagnostics Healthcare: Is A New Trend Emerging?
One of the primary trends emerging in the sector is the growing use of artificial intelligence. AI-powered diagnostic tools are revolutionizing the interpretation of medical images with high accuracy, leading to increased adoption. These tools not only improve disease diagnostics but also allow medical professionals to develop more effective and personalized treatment plans, elevating the overall healthcare experience.
On February 24, GlobeNewswire reported that the US AI diagnostics market was worth around $655 million in 2024, as per estimates by Precedence Statistics. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.7% between 2025 and 2034, reaching $4.29 billion by the end of the forecast period.
On February 4, Eric Lefkofsky, founder and CEO of Tempus AI, appeared on CNBC to talk about the impact of generative AI in diagnostics healthcare, among other things. He was of the view that generative AI and large language models aren’t more impactful in any other avenue as much as they are in healthcare. Diagnostics sit at the center of healthcare, as almost every other major decision a doctor makes is undertaken after ordering some kind of laboratory test. If we can make diagnostics more intelligent, it would be possible to route patients to the best possible and most optimal therapy.
Generative AI is thus allowing access to new tools that help structure and make sense of disparate information and use that information, whether it be physician progress notes, pathology reports, molecular data, CAT scans, MRIs, or others, to make sure that the patients are on the optimal therapy path. He further said that the promise of this technology is twofold: it is enormous in helping patients live better and longer lives while reducing the substantial waste in the US healthcare system. Generative AI is thus significantly impactful in healthcare diagnostics.
Our Methodology
We sifted through stock screeners, financial media reports, and ETFs to compile a list of 20 diagnostics and research stocks. We then selected the top 12 with the highest number of hedge fund holders, as of Q4 2024, and ranked them in ascending order. We sourced the hedge fund sentiment data from Insider Monkey’s database.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
A research team in a laboratory discussing the results of a lab screening test for biomarkers.
Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 49
Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS) is a diagnostics and screening company that focuses on the early detection and prevention of particular types of cancer. It offers Cologuard, a non-invasive screening test for the early detection of colorectal cancer, pre-cancer, and Oncotype DX.
On February 5, 2025, the company announced a partnership with Flatiron Health to use its research platform to analyze data from Exact Sciences Corporation’s (NASDAQ:EXAS) Oncodetect MRD test. The collaboration aims to collect real-world data from diverse patients in an attempt to integrate MRD testing into precision cancer care. The partnership began with a clinical study of 1,350 patients to track cancer recurrence across different solid tumors.
Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS) also has sound operations. It reported a 10% revenue growth in fiscal Q4 2024, with adjusted EBITDA increasing 52% to $75 million. Screening revenue also rose 14% to $553 million, primarily fueled by strong Cologuard adoption. In addition, the company strengthened its balance sheet in 2024, more than doubling free cash flow and ending the year with $1.04 billion in cash and securities. On March 18, BTIG analyst Mark Massaro reiterated a Buy rating on Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS) and set a price target of $65.00.
Parnassus Growth Equity Fund stated the following regarding Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“We bought two new positions in biotechnology company Vertex Pharmaceuticals and genetic testing company Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS). Exact Sciences, a cancer diagnostic company, is approaching profitability and should be able to continue to grow its top and bottom line due to its leadership in non-invasive colorectal cancer tests and entry into new markets like cancer recurrence monitoring.”
Overall, EXAS ranks 9th on our list of the best diagnostics stocks to invest in right now. While we acknowledge the potential of EXAS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than EXAS but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
