Exelixis, Inc. $EXEL Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXEL) by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 596,247 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 23,756 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.22% of Exelixis worth $24,625,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of EXEL. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in Exelixis by 81.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 43,181 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,592,000 after purchasing an additional 19,407 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Exelixis by 4.9% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,466,779 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $54,153,000 after buying an additional 68,133 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in Exelixis by 83.4% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 38,458 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,420,000 after acquiring an additional 17,483 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Exelixis by 134.3% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,647 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 944 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Exelixis by 23.8% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 14,362 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $633,000 after acquiring an additional 2,764 shares in the last quarter. 85.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Exelixis Trading Up 3.6%

EXEL opened at $43.90 on Friday. Exelixis, Inc. has a twelve month low of $32.38 and a twelve month high of $49.62. The firm has a market cap of $11.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.52, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $43.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $40.98.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EXEL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Exelixis in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Exelixis from $36.00 to $30.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. UBS Group set a $41.00 target price on shares of Exelixis in a report on Monday, January 5th. Bank of America cut shares of Exelixis from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $41.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Exelixis from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $46.16.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Patrick J. Haley sold 28,043 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.58, for a total value of $1,194,070.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 374,029 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,926,154.82. This represents a 6.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Stelios Papadopoulos sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.55, for a total transaction of $4,355,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,189,228 shares in the company, valued at $51,790,879.40. This trade represents a 7.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 245,235 shares of company stock valued at $10,490,600 over the last 90 days. 2.82% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Exelixis News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Exelixis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Exelixis from a “hold” to a “strong‑buy,” signaling increased analyst conviction that the company’s growth story is improving. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks issued broad upward revisions to Exelixis’ earnings outlook — raising FY2026 to $2.76 from $2.34 and FY2027 to $3.65 (previously $3.30), and lifting several quarterly estimates (e.g., Q1‑Q4 2026 and Q1‑Q4 2027). These higher forward EPS forecasts support a re‑rating and provide a clearer path to earnings growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a bullish write‑up, “3 Reasons Why Growth Investors Shouldn’t Overlook Exelixis,” highlighting growth attributes that could help EXEL outperform — a narrative that can attract growth‑oriented buyers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed its “Buy” rating on EXEL, providing additional sell‑side support that may encourage institutional interest. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Note that Zacks’ upgraded forecasts exceed the current broader consensus (the entries cite a consensus near $2.04 for the current year). The market may await confirmation from Exelixis’ upcoming results/sales trends before other analysts materially follow, which could create short‑term volatility. Read More.

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.