Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) Rating Lowered to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on EXEL. Barclays lifted their price target on Exelixis from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Exelixis from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Exelixis in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Exelixis from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Exelixis in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $46.94.

Exelixis Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ EXEL opened at $40.74 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $43.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.58 billion, a PE ratio of 14.71, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.41. Exelixis has a fifty-two week low of $32.38 and a fifty-two week high of $49.62.

Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The biotechnology company reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $598.66 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $609.17 million. Exelixis had a return on equity of 36.29% and a net margin of 33.73%.Exelixis’s revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.55 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Exelixis will post 2.04 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Patrick J. Haley sold 67,814 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.52, for a total transaction of $2,951,265.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 381,908 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,620,636.16. This trade represents a 15.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Dana Aftab sold 47,918 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.50, for a total value of $2,132,351.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 616,106 shares in the company, valued at $27,416,717. This trade represents a 7.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 362,849 shares of company stock valued at $15,917,463 over the last ninety days. 2.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Motiv8 Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Exelixis in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Exelixis by 95.1% in the third quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 599 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 292 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Exelixis by 500.0% during the third quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 600 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Exelixis during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Exelixis during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors own 85.27% of the company’s stock.

More Exelixis News

Here are the key news stories impacting Exelixis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a positive takecalling EXEL a “Top Value Stock for the Long-Term,” which supports a longer-term, value-oriented bull case for investors focused on valuation and cash flow. Why Exelixis (EXEL) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reiterated a Hold rating and kept its $49 price target, noting that while Welireg competition tempers RCC upside, the embedded cabozantinib franchise still provides support — a mixed view that keeps sentiment neutral. Exelixis: Welireg Competition Tempers RCC Upside but Embedded Cabozantinib Franchise Supports Hold Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga and other roundups compiling multiple analyst projections provide a range of views (some bullish on long-term value, others cautious), meaning consensus remains mixed and investors should focus on which revenue scenarios play out. Forecasting The Future: 11 Analyst Projections For Exelixis
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest items show zero shares or inconsistent data (likely a reporting/data error), so there’s no clear short-squeeze signal to factor into near-term price action. (Market-impact: negligible until cleaned up.)
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada cut its price target to $43 and set a “sector perform” rating, signaling reduced upside expectations and likely contributing to downward pressure on the stock. Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) Price Target Lowered to $43.00 at Royal Bank Of Canada
• Negative Sentiment: An investing.com item notes EXEL stock fell after a Merck trial produced stronger results versus competing approaches — competitive clinical data can reduce Exelixis’ market share and near-term growth prospects in relevant indications. Exelixis stock falls after rival Merck trial shows better results
• Negative Sentiment: Stifel reiterated a Hold rating, explicitly flagging emerging belzutifan competition and uncertain cabozantinib revenue visibility — commentary that reinforces cautious analyst positioning. Hold Rating on Exelixis Amid Emerging Belzutifan Competition and Uncertain Cabo Revenue Visibility
• Negative Sentiment: Wall Street Zen lowered its stock rating, another data point adding to negative near-term sentiment from some retail/independent research outlets. Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

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.