Vanguard Group Inc. Has $974.30 Million Stock Position in Exact Sciences Corporation $EXAS

Vanguard Group Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS) by 0.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,808,477 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 98,982 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 0.09% of Exact Sciences worth $974,302,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of EXAS. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Exact Sciences by 31.7% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,909,501 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $213,889,000 after purchasing an additional 939,888 shares during the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Exact Sciences by 12.6% during the second quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,529,820 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $134,435,000 after buying an additional 282,825 shares in the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP grew its position in Exact Sciences by 189.5% during the second quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 2,145,181 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $113,995,000 after buying an additional 1,404,086 shares in the last quarter. Bamco Inc. NY increased its stake in Exact Sciences by 26.4% during the second quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 1,861,341 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $98,912,000 after acquiring an additional 388,627 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Exact Sciences by 73.3% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,753,283 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $93,169,000 after acquiring an additional 741,517 shares in the last quarter. 88.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on EXAS. Guggenheim lowered Exact Sciences from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $105.00 price target (up previously from $85.00) on shares of Exact Sciences in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $105.00 price objective (up previously from $85.00) on shares of Exact Sciences in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Exact Sciences from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $90.00 to $105.00 in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $105.00 target price on shares of Exact Sciences in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Exact Sciences presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $91.00.

Exact Sciences Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:EXAS opened at $103.43 on Friday. Exact Sciences Corporation has a 52 week low of $38.81 and a 52 week high of $103.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 2.44 and a current ratio of 2.43. The company’s fifty day moving average is $102.31 and its 200-day moving average is $77.72. The company has a market capitalization of $19.74 billion, a PE ratio of -94.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.42.

Exact Sciences (NASDAQ:EXAS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 13th. The medical research company reported ($0.21) earnings per share (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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.06) EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Exact Sciences Corporation will post -0.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exact Sciences Company Profile

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.