ExlService Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:EXLS)

ExlService Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXLS) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 10,011 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 2,460% compared to the typical daily volume of 391 put options.

Insider Transactions at ExlService

In other ExlService news, insider Vikas Bhalla sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.99, for a total transaction of $384,890.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 130,295 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,559,022.05. This trade represents a 7.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 3.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EXLS. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in ExlService in the 2nd quarter worth about $488,370,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of ExlService during the 2nd quarter worth $48,189,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in ExlService during the second quarter worth about $25,214,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of ExlService in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $19,355,000. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a new stake in shares of ExlService during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $17,821,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.92% of the company’s stock.

ExlService Trading Down 1.3%

EXLS traded down $0.48 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $35.80. 519,775 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,328,963. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $33.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.81. ExlService has a 1-year low of $24.85 and a 1-year high of $44.32.

ExlService (NASDAQ:EXLS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.04. ExlService had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 30.61%. The business had revenue of $594.76 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $573.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.49 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. ExlService has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.290 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that ExlService will post 1.82 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of ExlService from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ExlService from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Barrington Research set a $43.00 target price on shares of ExlService in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on shares of ExlService from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price target (up from $43.00) on shares of ExlService in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.50.

About ExlService

ExlService Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: EXLS), operating as EXL, is a global data analytics and digital operations company. It helps businesses use data, artificial intelligence and automation to improve decision-making, streamline processes and enhance customer experiences.

EXL provides services including advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, business process management, finance and accounting, customer care, claims administration, underwriting support and other industry-specific operations.