GRAIL (NASDAQ:GRAL) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

GRAIL, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRAL) shares gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $101.53, but opened at $49.66. GRAIL shares last traded at $53.3090, with a volume of 3,450,288 shares traded.

GRAIL News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting GRAIL this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported beats on Q4 revenue and EPS, growth in U.S. Galleri sales, stated cash runway into 2030 and completed a PMA submission to the FDA — fundamental items that support longer‑term commercialization potential. GRAIL Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Topline trial data also showed a substantial reduction in stage IV diagnoses and increased stage I–II detection for some cancers — outcomes investors may view as clinically meaningful even though the primary endpoint was not met. These secondary signals could support follow‑up analyses or regulatory discussions. Landmark NHS‑Galleri Trial Demonstrates …
• Positive Sentiment: At least one research house maintained a favorable view (Outperform) after the news, indicating some analysts believe the selloff may be overdone and the company retains upside if follow‑up data or regulatory feedback is constructive. GRAIL (NASDAQ:GRAL) Earns Outperform Rating from Analysts at Robert W. Baird
• Neutral Sentiment: Several headlines and commentaries are assessing whether the market reaction is an overreaction and noting that more detailed follow‑up analyses could change interpretation — keep an eye on full data releases and management commentary. Why is GRAL stock down today? Analysts lower targets …
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short‑interest data in the feed appears unreliable/zeroed out (likely a data error) and should not be used to infer shareholder positioning or days‑to‑cover at this time. Market data summary for GRAL
• Negative Sentiment: Primary endpoint for the 3‑year NHS‑Galleri randomized trial was not met (no statistically significant combined reduction in Stage III–IV diagnoses), which directly undercut the test’s flagship clinical claim and triggered the steep share decline. Grail shares plunge after major cancer screening trial misses main goal
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple news outlets and analysts pushed negative headlines after the trial miss, amplifying selling pressure and volatility despite the company’s otherwise positive quarterly metrics. Here’s Why Grail Stock Crashed 50% Today
• Negative Sentiment: Two law firms have opened securities‑litigation investigations into GRAIL, increasing legal risk and potential distraction for management; this typically weighs on sentiment and can prolong downside pressure. GRAL ALERT: Investigation Launched into GRAIL, Inc.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GRAL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their target price on shares of GRAIL from $105.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of GRAIL in a research report on Thursday. They set a “hold” rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of GRAIL in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of GRAIL from $85.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $82.00 price target on GRAIL in a report on Friday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $98.50.

GRAIL Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.49 and a beta of 4.52. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $96.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $76.23.

GRAIL (NASDAQ:GRAL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported ($2.44) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($3.33) by $0.89. GRAIL had a negative return on equity of 17.58% and a negative net margin of 277.46%.The firm had revenue of $43.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $43.33 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that GRAIL, Inc. will post -15.15 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of GRAIL

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GRAL. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in GRAIL in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,320,000. NWF Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in GRAIL during the second quarter worth $1,062,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in GRAIL in the third quarter valued at $885,000. Legal Advantage Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of GRAIL in the third quarter valued at $1,242,000. Finally, Sheets Smith Investment Management acquired a new position in shares of GRAIL during the 3rd quarter worth $1,689,000.

GRAIL Company Profile

GRAIL, Inc (NASDAQ: GRAL) is a biotechnology company dedicated to the early detection of cancer through a multi-cancer blood test. Leveraging advances in next-generation sequencing, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis and machine learning, GRAIL has developed the Galleri™ test, which aims to identify more than 50 types of cancer at their earliest stages. The company’s platform analyzes methylation patterns in circulating tumor DNA to pinpoint tumor presence and tissue of origin, enabling physicians to pursue timely diagnostic follow-up.

Founded in 2016 as a spin-out from Illumina, GRAIL established its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, with additional research and operations centers in the United Kingdom.