Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors 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.

Several other research firms have also commented on EXEL. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Exelixis from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Exelixis in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Exelixis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, December 14th. UBS Group set a $41.00 target price on Exelixis in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 target price on shares of Exelixis in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Exelixis has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.16.

Exelixis Stock Down 0.7%

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

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 shares were sold at an average price of $42.50, for a total transaction of $2,056,277.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 664,778 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,253,065. This trade represents a 6.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Patrick J. Haley sold 28,043 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.58, for a total transaction of $1,194,070.94. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 374,029 shares in the company, valued at $15,926,154.82. The trade was a 6.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 245,235 shares of company stock valued at $10,490,600. 2.82% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Exelixis

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EXEL. TriaGen Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Exelixis during the third quarter valued at approximately $2,024,000. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in Exelixis in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $321,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its position in Exelixis by 153.3% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 2,462,948 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $101,720,000 after purchasing an additional 1,490,520 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Exelixis during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,017,000. Finally, Capital Fund Management S.A. grew its holdings in Exelixis by 6.6% during the second quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. now owns 283,639 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $12,501,000 after purchasing an additional 17,673 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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 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.