ExlService (NASDAQ:EXLS) Raised to Strong-Buy at Barrington Research

ExlService (NASDAQ:EXLS) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Barrington Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

EXLS has been the topic of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of ExlService from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $40.00 target price (down from $55.00) on shares of ExlService in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of ExlService from $51.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Robert W. Baird set a $35.00 price target on shares of ExlService in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of ExlService from $54.00 to $46.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, ExlService has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $41.50.

ExlService Stock Performance

EXLS stock traded down $0.14 on Thursday, hitting $31.74. The company had a trading volume of 2,513,889 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,233,918. ExlService has a 12-month low of $26.94 and a 12-month high of $48.54. The company has a current ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $30.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $36.51. The stock has a market cap of $4.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.89.

ExlService (NASDAQ:EXLS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.05. ExlService had a net margin of 11.66% and a return on equity of 28.50%. The company had revenue of $570.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $557.67 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.48 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. ExlService has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.230 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that ExlService will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ExlService declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to buyback $125.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the business services provider to buy up to 2.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at ExlService

In related news, EVP Ajay Ayyappan sold 2,275 shares of ExlService stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.32, for a total transaction of $68,978.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 53,768 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,630,245.76. The trade was a 4.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 4.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of ExlService during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. CENTRAL TRUST Co lifted its stake in shares of ExlService by 2,428.0% during the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 632 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 607 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of ExlService by 285.2% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 678 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 502 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in shares of ExlService by 57.2% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 706 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA lifted its stake in shares of ExlService by 56.2% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 717 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.92% of the company’s stock.

ExlService Company Profile

ExlService Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: EXLS) is a global operations management and analytics company that partners with clients in insurance, healthcare, banking, and financial services to drive digital transformation and operational excellence. The firm delivers analytics-driven solutions and business process outsourcing services, including claims adjudication, finance and accounting, data management, and customer service support. ExlService combines domain expertise with advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and automation technologies to help organizations optimize processes, enhance customer experiences, and manage risk.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in New York City, ExlService has grown through a mix of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, earning recognition for its data analytics capabilities and industry-specific knowledge.