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Investing.com - UBS raised its price target on Exact Sciences (NASDAQ:EXAS) to $105.00 from $80.00 while maintaining a Neutral rating on the stock. The new target aligns with the stock’s current trading price of $101.12, just shy of its 52-week high of $101.87. According to InvestingPro data, EXAS has delivered an impressive 90.7% return over the past year.
The price target increase reflects UBS’s expectation that Abbott’s acquisition of Exact Sciences will close as announced. The deal is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2026. With a current market capitalization of $19.16 billion, Exact Sciences operates with a moderate level of debt and maintains strong liquidity, as its current ratio of 2.72 indicates liquid assets comfortably exceed short-term obligations.
UBS does not anticipate any regulatory issues with the transaction. The $105 deal price represents approximately a 50% premium to Exact’s stock price on November 18, prior to a Bloomberg article about the acquisition.
The acquisition price implies roughly 6x enterprise value to 2026 sales. UBS noted that the deal requires a primary care salesforce, which Abbott possesses but many potential acquirers do not.
UBS views this transaction as a "one-off rather than trend starter" and does not see any broader implications for other specialty diagnostics companies.
In other recent news, Exact Sciences has been in the spotlight following its acquisition by Abbott Laboratories . This development led Jefferies to downgrade Exact Sciences from Buy to Hold, adjusting its price target to $105.00. The acquisition deal, approved by Exact Sciences’ board, is expected to finalize before the second quarter of 2026, pending shareholder approval. Meanwhile, UBS has maintained its Neutral rating on the company, with a price target of $80.00, amid the acquisition reports. Analyst Dan Leonard from UBS noted that competing bids are unlikely if an agreement on price is reached between Abbott and Exact Sciences. In related events, BTIG has maintained its Buy rating on Exact Sciences, setting a price target of $85.00 and highlighting the company’s trading metrics prior to the acquisition news. Additionally, Quanterix Corporation has announced significant leadership changes, appointing two former executives from Thermo Fisher Scientific to its board of directors. These changes are part of a governance restructuring aimed at supporting Quanterix’s next phase of growth.
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