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

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released 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.

EXEL has been the topic of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Exelixis from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Exelixis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 14th. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Exelixis in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Bank of America downgraded Exelixis from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $41.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $43.00 price target on Exelixis in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Exelixis currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.16.

Exelixis Trading Down 0.7%

NASDAQ:EXEL opened at $42.37 on Wednesday. Exelixis has a 12-month low of $32.38 and a 12-month high of $49.62. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $43.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.00. The firm has a market cap of $11.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.88, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.42.

Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The biotechnology company reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 last year, the firm posted $0.47 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Exelixis will post 2.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Exelixis

In related news, EVP Dana Aftab sold 48,383 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.50, for a total value of $2,056,277.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 664,778 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,253,065. This trade represents a 6.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Stelios Papadopoulos sold 100,000 shares of Exelixis stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.55, for a total value of $4,355,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,189,228 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,790,879.40. This represents a 7.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 245,235 shares of company stock worth $10,490,600. 2.82% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exelixis

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 19,407 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Exelixis by 4.9% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,466,779 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $54,153,000 after purchasing an additional 68,133 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its position in Exelixis by 83.4% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 38,458 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $1,420,000 after purchasing an additional 17,483 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Exelixis by 23.8% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 14,362 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $633,000 after purchasing an additional 2,764 shares in the last quarter. 85.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Exelixis

Here are the key news stories impacting Exelixis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple quarterly and full-year EPS forecasts for Exelixis, lifting FY2026 to $2.76 (from $2.34) and FY2027 to $3.65 (from $3.30) and raising several Q1–Q4 quarterly estimates — a broad upward revision that signals improving analyst expectations for revenue and profit growth. Zacks / MarketBeat Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a bullish piece (“3 Reasons Why Growth Investors Shouldn’t Overlook Exelixis”) highlighting the company’s growth attributes and catalysts that could drive outperformance versus the market. This type of coverage can attract growth-focused investors. 3 Reasons Why Growth Investors Shouldn’t Overlook Exelixis (Zacks)
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks feature ranks Exelixis as a top growth stock using its Style Scores — positive signal for momentum and style-driven fund flows that may support demand for the shares. Exelixis is a Top-Ranked Growth Stock (Zacks)
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “Buy” rating on EXEL, providing another institutional vote of confidence that may support investor sentiment and buying interest. HC Wainwright Reaffirms “Buy” Rating (American Banking News)

About Exelixis

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.