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

Key Points

• Barrington Research upgraded ExlService to a "strong-buy", joining other firms that leave the stock with an overall consensus of Buy and an average analyst price target of $41.50.
• ExlService beat quarterly expectations with $0.58 EPS (vs. $0.53 est.) and $570.35M revenue, up 13.8% year-over-year, and issued FY‑2026 guidance of $2.18–$2.23 EPS.
• The board authorized a $125 million share buyback (about 2.7% of shares), while institutional ownership remains high at 92.92% and insiders hold roughly 4.04%.

ExlService (NASDAQ:EXLS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Barrington Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

EXLS has been the topic of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of ExlService from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of ExlService from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on ExlService from $54.00 to $46.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Robert W. Baird set a $35.00 price objective on shares of ExlService in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut ExlService from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $41.50.

ExlService Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ EXLS opened at $31.74 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $4.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.22, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 2.56, a current ratio of 2.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. ExlService has a 52-week low of $26.94 and a 52-week high of $48.54. The business's 50 day moving average is $30.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.51.

ExlService (NASDAQ:EXLS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.53 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $570.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $557.67 million. ExlService had a return on equity of 28.50% and a net margin of 11.66%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.48 earnings per share. ExlService has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.230 EPS. Research analysts predict that ExlService will post 1.76 EPS for the current year.

ExlService announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to repurchase $125.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the business services provider to repurchase up to 2.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Ajay Ayyappan sold 1,197 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.79, for a total transaction of $35,658.63. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 53,901 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,605,710.79. This represents a 2.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 4.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ExlService

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of ExlService during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its position in shares of ExlService by 2,428.0% in the third quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 632 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 607 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ExlService by 285.2% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 678 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 502 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ExlService by 57.2% during the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 706 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in ExlService by 56.2% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 717 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. 92.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

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