Aberdeen Group plc Purchases 89,194 Shares of ExlService Holdings, Inc. $EXLS

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc raised its stake in ExlService by 18.8%, purchasing 89,194 shares to own 562,437 shares (about 0.35% of the company) valued at roughly $23.87 million.
• ExlService's board authorized a $125 million stock buyback (up to ~2.7% of outstanding shares), a move that typically signals management believes the shares are undervalued.
• Analyst sentiment is cautiously positive: the stock carries an average rating of Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $43.60.

Aberdeen Group plc grew its position in ExlService Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXLS - Free Report) by 18.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 562,437 shares of the business services provider's stock after buying an additional 89,194 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.35% of ExlService worth $23,870,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in ExlService in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its stake in ExlService by 2,428.0% during the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 632 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 607 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in ExlService by 57.2% during the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 706 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in ExlService during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in ExlService by 533.6% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 792 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 667 shares in the last quarter. 92.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

ExlService Stock Performance

EXLS opened at $30.94 on Monday. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $31.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $38.04. ExlService Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $26.94 and a 52-week high of $48.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a current ratio of 2.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.84 billion, a PE ratio of 20.09, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.89.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EXLS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $40.00 price target (down from $55.00) on shares of ExlService in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Robert W. Baird set a $35.00 price target on ExlService in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen raised ExlService from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on ExlService from $54.00 to $46.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of ExlService in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ExlService presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $43.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other ExlService news, EVP Ajay Ayyappan sold 8,114 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.53, for a total transaction of $345,088.42. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 53,515 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,275,992.95. This represents a 13.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 11,586 shares of company stock worth $449,725 in the last 90 days. 4.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About ExlService

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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