Genomics Stocks That Deserve a Place in Your Portfolio in 2026

An updated edition of the Jan. 6, 2026, article.

Genomics is the comprehensive study of genomes—the complete set of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) within an organism. Rapid scientific progress in this field has intensified interest among pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies seeking deeper insight into disease biology and more effective therapeutic strategies.

It is important to distinguish between genetics and genomics. Genetics focuses on individual genes and their functions, whereas genomics primarily aims to characterize all the genes of an organism, exploring how they interact with one another and with environmental factors to influence biological processes.

Insights from genomic research are increasingly being used to evaluate how patients respond to specific drugs. These findings are also driving the development of precise, more targeted treatments, contributing to the advancement of personalized medicine. As demand for innovative therapies continues to grow, genomics is poised to play an increasingly central role in the future of healthcare, despite the complexity inherent in genome-scale research.

The expanding genomics landscape has also supported the growth of synthetic biology, which applies engineering principles to biology. This emerging field involves redesigning organisms for diverse applications, including drug discovery, disease detection, enzyme engineering, gene editing and foundational research.

A key driver of progress in genomics has been the dramatic reduction in the cost, time and technical effort required to sequence an individual’s genome. A prominent player in this field is Illumina ILMN, widely recognized for its leadership in sequencing and array-based technologies for genetic analysis.

While many companies are using genomic sequencing to create solutions across healthcare and other industries, diagnostic firms are leveraging sequencing data to identify genetic variations and link them to known medical conditions.

Another transformative advancement is the emergence of genome-editing technologies, most notably CRISPR/Cas9 systems. Companies specializing in gene editing, such as CRISPR Therapeutics AG CRSP and Beam Therapeutics BEAM, are exploring these tools to develop treatments—and potentially cures—for diseases driven by genetic mutations. By enabling precise modifications to DNA, genome editing offers the possibility of correcting harmful genetic defects at their source.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global genomics market was valued at $34.23 billion in 2025 and is expected to expand from $38.24 billion in 2026 to $99.26 billion by 2034, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.66% over the forecast period.

Per a Grandview Research article, the global synthetic biology market size was valued at $18.94 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $69.18 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 17.7% from 2026 to 2033.

If you're looking to capitalize on this trend, our Genomics and Synthetic Biology screen makes it easy to identify high-potential stocks at any given time. At present, investors may consider adding stocks like Pacific Biosciences of California PACB, Caribou Biosciences, Inc. CRBU and Sana Biotechnology SANA to their portfolios.

Explore 37 cutting-edge investment themes with Zacks Thematic Investing Screens and uncover your next big opportunity.

3 Genomics Stocks to Consider

Pacific Biosciences of California is a life science technology company that designs, develops and manufactures advanced sequencing solutions. The company is focused on creating some of the world’s most advanced sequencing systems to provide customers with the most complete and accurate study of genomes, transcriptomes and epigenomes. PACB’s portfolio, led by its HiFi long-read sequencing technology, supports a wide range of applications spanning human germline sequencing, plant and animal sciences, infectious disease and microbiology, oncology and other emerging fields.

PACB’s customers include academic and governmental research institutions, commercial testing and service laboratories, genome centers, public health labs, hospitals and clinical research institutes, contract research organizations (CROs), pharmaceutical companies and agricultural companies. The company has collaborated with n-Lorem Foundation and EspeRare to advance precision therapies for rare genetic diseases.

PACB shares have risen 9.1% in the past year. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Caribou Biosciences, a clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company, is using its genome-editing platform, including its Cas12a chRDNA technology, for the development of engineered cell therapies with improved durability and anti-tumor activity.

Its proprietary genome-editing platform is built around Cas12a chRDNA technology to deliver enhanced precision. The company’s lead programs include vispacabtagene regedleucel (vispa-cel) and CB-011, both off-the-shelf CAR-T cell therapies intended to expand treatment access and provide rapid therapeutic intervention for patients with hematologic malignancies. Positive data on vispa-cel in November 2025 from an early-stage study underscore its potential as the best-in-class allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy for second-line (2L) large B cell lymphoma (LBCL).

The successful development of any of these therapies will be a significant boost for CRBU.

Earlier this week, Watchmaker Genomics, a developer of high-performance solutions for next-generation sequencing, announced a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Caribou Biosciences for certain foundational CRISPR-Cas9 intellectual property to support applications in NGS library preparation.

CRBU currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Shares of this biotech company have surged 34.4% in the past year.

Sana Biotechnology is developing ex vivo and in vivo cell engineering platforms to revolutionize the treatment of various diseases, such as type 1 diabetes (T1D), B-cell cancers and B-cell mediated autoimmune diseases. SC451, a HIP-modified, stem cell-derived pancreatic islet cell therapy, is being developed for the treatment of T1D. SANA plans to file an IND application and begin a phase I study on SC451 this year.

SANA is also developing SG293, the next-generation version of its prior SG299 product candidate, using its fusogen platform, which allows for cell-specific, in vivo delivery of various payloads. The company plans to evaluate SG293 in both B-cell cancers and B-cell–mediated autoimmune diseases and expects to file an IND for SG293 as early as 2027.

To focus its resources on the most encouraging data from the SC451 and fusogen programs, SANA has suspended development and any further internal investment in its two allogeneic CAR T cell therapy programs — SC291 for B-cell–mediated autoimmune diseases and SC262 for oncology.

SANA also carries a Zacks Rank #2. Shares of Sana Biotechnology have surged 37.5% over the past year. 

 

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research