Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Acquires Shares of 471,134 Exact Sciences Corporation $EXAS

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management initiated a new stake of 471,134 shares in Exact Sciences valued at about $47.85 million, representing roughly 0.25% of the company at the end of the quarter.
• Abbott completed a cash acquisition of Exact Sciences reported in the roughly $21–$23 billion range, transferring Cologuard and Exact’s screening business to Abbott and effectively closing a buyout transaction for EXAS shareholders.
• Exact’s latest quarter showed revenue of $878.4 million (up 23.1% YoY) that beat estimates, but EPS of ($0.21) missed the $0.08 consensus; analysts’ consensus rating is currently "Reduce" with a $92.13 price target.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new position in Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 471,134 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $47,848,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.25% of Exact Sciences at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of EXAS. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Exact Sciences by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 542 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 271 shares in the last quarter. Country Trust Bank bought a new stake in Exact Sciences in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Exact Sciences in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in shares of Exact Sciences by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 983 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $100,000 after buying an additional 375 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bollard Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Exact Sciences in the third quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 88.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Exact Sciences in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Mizuho reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $105.00 price objective (up from $85.00) on shares of Exact Sciences in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. BTIG Research reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Exact Sciences in a research note on Tuesday. Canaccord Genuity Group downgraded Exact Sciences from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $85.00 to $105.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $105.00 price target (up from $80.00) on shares of Exact Sciences in a report on Friday, November 28th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $92.13.

Exact Sciences Price Performance

Shares of Exact Sciences stock opened at $104.91 on Wednesday. Exact Sciences Corporation has a 12-month low of $38.81 and a 12-month high of $104.98. The company has a market cap of $20.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -95.37, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.41. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $103.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $86.84. The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97.

Exact Sciences (NASDAQ:EXAS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 13th. The medical research company reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.08 by ($0.29). Exact Sciences had a negative net margin of 6.40% and a positive return on equity of 0.53%. The firm had revenue of $878.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $860.59 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.06) EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Exact Sciences Corporation will post -0.58 EPS for the current year.

More Exact Sciences News

Here are the key news stories impacting Exact Sciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Abbott completed the acquisition of Exact Sciences, a cash takeover reported in the $21–$23 billion range; the deal transfers Cologuard and Exact’s screening business to Abbott, which typically implies a buyout premium for EXAS shareholders. Abbott completes acquisition of Exact Sciences
• Neutral Sentiment: Local reporting confirms the transaction close and reiterates deal valuation (~$23B in some reports); this is corroborating coverage rather than new terms, so it mainly reinforces the takeover rationale. Abbott closes $23 billion deal to buy Madison-based Exact Sciences
• Neutral Sentiment: An alternate outlet reported a $21 billion figure for the transaction — a discrepancy in headlines that can create short‑term price noise but does not change the fact of the acquisition closing. Abbott (ABT) Finalizes $21 Billion Exact Sciences (EXAS) Takeover
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading in EXAS was temporarily halted before the announcement for "News pending," consistent with an imminent corporate action; halts are routine ahead of M&A prints but can amplify intraday volatility.
• Neutral Sentiment: BTIG reiterated a "neutral" rating on EXAS earlier — a hold-type view that is now secondary to the acquisition close, though it may matter for pre-close trading context. BTIG Research reaffirms neutral on Exact Sciences
• Neutral Sentiment: Several short‑interest reports posted odd entries showing 0 shares and NaN changes — this appears to be a data glitch rather than evidence of new shorting activity, so it’s unlikely to be a reliable signal.

About Exact Sciences

Exact Sciences Corporation is a molecular diagnostics company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, dedicated to the early detection and prevention of cancer. The company's flagship product, Cologuard®, is a noninvasive, stool-based DNA screening test for colorectal cancer that was developed in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic. By combining DNA mutation analysis with hemoglobin detection, Cologuard aims to improve screening adherence and identify cancers and precancerous lesions in average-risk adults.

Since its founding in 1995, Exact Sciences has expanded its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and internal research and development.

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