Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Exact Sciences Corporation (NASDAQ:EXAS) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the twenty-four research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twenty-one have issued a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $89.5556.

EXAS has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup lowered Exact Sciences from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Exact Sciences in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Exact Sciences from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Exact Sciences from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $90.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Guggenheim cut shares of Exact Sciences from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th.

Exact Sciences Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of EXAS stock opened at $103.43 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $19.74 billion, a P/E ratio of -19.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a quick ratio of 2.44, a current ratio of 2.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. Exact Sciences has a fifty-two week low of $38.81 and a fifty-two week high of $103.54. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $102.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $74.98.

Insider Activity at Exact Sciences

In related news, EVP Jacob A. Orville sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total value of $375,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,237 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,742,775. This represents a 17.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Exact Sciences

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exact Sciences during the 1st quarter worth about $604,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in Exact Sciences by 11.8% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 21,186 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $921,000 after purchasing an additional 2,231 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC raised its stake in Exact Sciences by 3.7% during the first quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 4,971 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $215,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its holdings in shares of Exact Sciences by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 21,548 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $933,000 after purchasing an additional 2,413 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Exact Sciences by 6.5% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 4,466 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $237,000 after buying an additional 273 shares during the period. 88.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.