Key Points
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Strong Q3 performance:ExlService's revenue rose 19.7% year over year to $634 million, while adjusted EPS increased 28.5% to $0.62. Organic constant-currency growth accelerated to 17%, with all four operating segments growing more than 15%.
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AI-led growth is reshaping the business:Data and AI revenue grew 36% reported and 31% organically, reaching nearly two-thirds of total revenue. The company is shifting AI-enabled work from Digital Operations into higher-value Data and AI-led operations and is expanding agentic AI offerings.
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Full-year outlook raised:ExlService increased its 2026 revenue forecast to $2.43 billion-$2.44 billion and adjusted EPS guidance to $2.34-$2.36. The company cited strong demand, pipeline growth and the early contribution of its iMerit acquisition.
ExlService (NASDAQ:EXLS) reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $634 million, up 19.7% from a year earlier, as demand for its data, artificial intelligence and operations services increased across all four operating segments. Adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 28.5% year over year to $0.62.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rohit Kapoor said organic constant-currency growth accelerated to 17% during the quarter, with every operating segment growing by more than 15%. The company raised its full-year revenue and adjusted earnings outlook, citing third-quarter performance, pipeline growth and continued demand for AI-related services.
Data and AI Services Drive Growth
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Data and AI-led revenue grew 36% on a reported basis and 31% organically in the quarter, reaching nearly two-thirds of ExlService's total revenue, according to Kapoor. The company reported growth across data management, AI services and solutions, payment integrity, data and AI-led operations, and model-training services obtained through its acquisition of iMerit.
Kapoor said enterprises are progressing from AI experimentation toward scaled implementations, with agentic AI increasingly becoming a focus. He said ExlService's combination of workflow knowledge, industry-specific context, data access and AI engineering capabilities has supported its client engagements.
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During the quarter, the company won an engagement with a U.K. bank, working with Google to migrate the bank's analytics environment from SAS to a cloud-native architecture on Google Cloud. ExlService said it is using its agentic EXLdata.ai offering on the project.
The company also introduced or expanded agentic AI offerings for finance, life and annuities, and healthcare payment integrity. These included an Agentic Suite for finance, enhancements to its LifePRO Agentic Suite, and Payment Integrity with AI for healthcare payers.
Operations Mix Shift and Segment Results
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Digital Operations revenue declined 1.7% year over year, but Kapoor said the reduction was intentional as work incorporating AI is reclassified into the company's Data and AI-led category. Total Operations, which includes Digital Operations and Data and AI-led operations, grew 12% from a year earlier.
"This decline is by design," Kapoor said of Digital Operations, adding that AI-enabled operations engagements become "more intelligent, more IP-led, and higher value."
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Insurance:Revenue was $208.5 million, up 15.5% year over year on a constant-currency basis. Kapoor said the segment's growth accelerated for a third consecutive quarter, led by data management and analytics.
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Health & Life Sciences:Revenue totaled $160.4 million, up 18.6% year over year and 17.2% organically. Higher volumes in payment services and expanded existing client relationships supported the increase.
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Banking, Capital Markets and Diversified Industries:Revenue reached $153.5 million, up 27% on a reported basis and 16.8% organically. The acquisition of iMerit, client expansions and new wins contributed to growth.
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International Growth Markets:Revenue was $111.6 million, up 21.1% on a reported basis and 20% organically. Growth was supported by higher volumes from existing clients and new client wins.
Kapoor said ExlService added 30 new logos during 2026, with particular momentum among mid-tier banks and fintech companies. He also said the company's pipeline creation increased at a double-digit rate as clients pursued larger, integrated engagements.
iMerit Integration and Leadership Changes
ExlService closed its acquisition of iMerit at the end of July. iMerit contributed $15.3 million in revenue during its first two months within ExlService, with growth in high-tech and healthcare as well as continued work with frontier AI labs.
Kapoor characterized iMerit as a strategic acquisition that expands ExlService's ability to operate across the AI stack, including data preparation, model training and fine-tuning, evaluation and validation, and AI deployment within workflows. He said the integration has proceeded well but remains at an early stage.
The company also announced executive changes following the departure of Vivek Jetley, president and head of Insurance, Health & Life Sciences, who left to become a CEO elsewhere. Bhupender Singh, president and head of International Growth Markets, added leadership of the Insurance segment. Raghav Jaggi will lead U.S. Insurance, while Nikhil Dhingra will lead Health & Life Sciences and report directly to Kapoor.
Margins, Cash Flow and Raised Outlook
Adjusted operating margin was 19.3%, down 10 basis points year over year, reflecting investments to support future ramp-ups. Selling, general and administrative expenses declined 30 basis points as a percentage of revenue to 21%.
Chief Financial Officer Maurizio Nicolelli said the company expects margins to remain relatively stable as it continues investing in employees, infrastructure and technology. He said the mix of spending is shifting as ExlService expands its data and AI activities.
For the first nine months of 2026, ExlService generated $209 million in operating cash flow, spent $44 million on capital expenditures and repurchased approximately 6.6 million shares for $205 million. As of Sept. 30, the company had $333 million in cash and short-term investments and net debt of $180 million.
ExlService expanded its borrowing capacity to $1 billion through a $400 million term loan and a $600 million revolving credit facility due in August 2031. Nicolelli said the capacity provides flexibility for targeted acquisitions and shareholder returns under its $500 million repurchase authorization.
The company raised its 2026 revenue forecast to $2.43 billion to $2.44 billion, representing reported growth of 16% to 17% and organic constant-currency growth of 15%. It previously forecast revenue of $2.39 billion to $2.415 billion.
Adjusted diluted EPS is now expected to be $2.34 to $2.36, compared with prior guidance of $2.25 to $2.29. The revised range would represent year-over-year growth of approximately 20% to 21%.
About ExlService (NASDAQ:EXLS)
ExlService Holdings, Inc, operating under the EXL brand, is a data analytics and digital operations company that helps businesses use data, technology and artificial intelligence to improve decision-making, manage risk and enhance operational performance. Its services include data management, advanced analytics, business process solutions, automation and technology-enabled transformation.
EXL serves clients across industries including insurance, healthcare, banking and capital markets, utilities, travel and transportation, retail, media and manufacturing.
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The article " What ExlService (EXLS) Said on Its Q3 Earnings Call " was originally published by MarketBeat.
