Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) Raised to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Exelixis’ Q4 2025 earnings at $0.75 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $2.65 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $0.61 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $0.63 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.68 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.83 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $2.76 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.76 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.91 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.92 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.07 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $3.65 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. UBS Group set a $41.00 price target on Exelixis in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Truist Financial set a $51.00 target price on Exelixis in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Leerink Partners upgraded Exelixis from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $48.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of Exelixis in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Exelixis in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $46.16.

Exelixis Stock Down 0.7%

Exelixis stock opened at $42.37 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $43.69 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.88, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.42. Exelixis has a 52-week low of $32.38 and a 52-week high of $49.62.

Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The biotechnology company reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $597.76 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $590.04 million. Exelixis had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 31.06%. Exelixis’s quarterly revenue was up 10.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.47 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Exelixis will post 2.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Exelixis

In related news, Director Stelios Papadopoulos sold 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.55, for a total value of $4,355,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,189,228 shares in the company, valued at $51,790,879.40. This represents a 7.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Patrick J. Haley sold 34,187 shares of Exelixis stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.88, for a total transaction of $1,431,751.56. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 245,235 shares of company stock worth $10,490,600. 2.82% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EXEL. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in Exelixis by 81.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 43,181 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,592,000 after buying an additional 19,407 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Exelixis by 4.9% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,466,779 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $54,153,000 after acquiring an additional 68,133 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth grew its holdings in shares of Exelixis by 83.4% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 38,458 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $1,420,000 after acquiring an additional 17,483 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Exelixis by 134.3% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,647 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 944 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Exelixis by 23.8% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 14,362 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $633,000 after purchasing an additional 2,764 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.27% of the company’s stock.

Key Exelixis News

Here are the key news stories impacting Exelixis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Exelixis from “hold” to “strong‑buy” (2/6), signaling stronger conviction from a well‑known sell‑side source. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple quarterly and full‑year EPS estimates across 2025–2027 (examples: FY2026 to ~$2.76 from $2.34 and FY2027 to ~$3.65), improving forward profitability expectations that can justify higher valuation multiple. MarketBeat EXEL Report
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published bullish commentary on Exelixis’s growth profile and why growth investors should consider the name — coverage that can attract capital from growth‑oriented funds and retail investors. 3 Reasons Why Growth Investors Shouldn’t Overlook Exelixis
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also flagged Exelixis as a top‑ranked growth stock in its Style Scores coverage, which may increase attention from factor‑based and momentum investors. Top‑Ranked Growth Stock
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “Buy” on EXEL, adding another supportive institutional rating that can help sustain demand. HC Wainwright Reaffirms Buy

Exelixis Company Profile

Exelixis, Inc is a biotechnology company specializing in the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecule therapies primarily for the treatment of cancer. Building on a platform that leverages model organism genetics and high-throughput screening, the company focuses its research on kinase inhibitors that modulate critical signaling pathways involved in tumor growth and metastasis. Exelixis’s translational research approach aims to advance novel compounds from early-stage discovery through clinical development and regulatory approval.

The company’s most recognized products include CABOMETYX® (cabozantinib), approved for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, and COMETRIQ® (cabozantinib) for metastatic medullary thyroid cancer.