Empowered Funds LLC Cuts Position in Exelixis, Inc. $EXEL

Empowered Funds LLC trimmed its position in Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXEL) by 18.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 272,490 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 63,116 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.11% of Exelixis worth $14,826,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Motiv8 Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Exelixis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Exelixis during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Western Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Exelixis in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exelixis during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Activest Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Exelixis in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.27% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on EXEL. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of Exelixis in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Exelixis from $51.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Citizens Jmp raised their target price on Exelixis from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Exelixis in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $54.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Exelixis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Exelixis presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $50.07.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Mary C. Beckerle sold 9,812 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.66, for a total transaction of $526,511.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,079 shares in the company, valued at $862,799.14. This trade represents a 37.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Jack L. Wyszomierski sold 3,925 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.55, for a total value of $198,408.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 284,384 shares in the company, valued at $14,375,611.20. This represents a 1.36% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 23,549 shares of company stock worth $1,216,894 over the last quarter. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Exelixis News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Exelixis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong sales and earnings, along with reported institutional support, have helped Exelixis shares gain 43.5% over the past year. The company’s latest reported quarter also showed adjusted earnings of $0.91 per share, ahead of the $0.85 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 10.6% year over year. Strong Sales, Earnings Send Exelixis Shares Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $3.18 from $3.12 and increased its Q1 2027 estimate to $0.80 from $0.79. It also lifted its Q3 2027 forecast slightly to $0.93 from $0.92, suggesting some confidence in near-term earnings execution.
• Neutral Sentiment: Exelixis remains near its 52-week high, with shares recently trading around $54.45 versus a high of $57.57. Its valuation is approximately 17 times earnings, while the company continues to show strong profitability, including a reported 35.3% net margin and 42.2% return on equity.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research maintains a “Strong Sell” rating and made several downward revisions: FY2027 EPS fell to $3.57 from $3.60, Q2 2027 EPS declined to $0.84 from $0.89, Q4 2026 EPS decreased to $0.81 from $0.83, and Q1 2028 EPS edged down to $0.96 from $0.97. These cuts could pressure the stock despite the modest upward revisions elsewhere.
• Negative Sentiment: Options activity was unusually bearish on August 27, with traders purchasing 10,010 put contracts—about 826% above the average daily put volume of 1,081. The surge indicates increased demand for downside protection or speculation on a decline.

Exelixis Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of EXEL stock opened at $54.45 on Friday. Exelixis, Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.76 and a 12-month high of $57.57. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $54.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $49.00. The firm has a market cap of $13.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.44.

Exelixis (NASDAQ:EXEL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.85 by $0.06. Exelixis had a net margin of 35.33% and a return on equity of 42.17%. The firm had revenue of $628.69 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $636.40 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.75 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Exelixis, Inc. will post 3.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.