EXL Research Reveals Surge in AI Integration Among UK Businesses

UK businesses are embedding AI into workflows, with 86% redesigning operations, despite facing significant implementation challenges.

Quiver AI Summary

A recent study by EXL reveals that a significant majority of UK businesses are integrating AI into their operations, with 86% making substantial changes to their operating models to accommodate this technology. Notably, 39% of organizations have completely redesigned their workflows, and companies anticipate that 50% of their processes will involve AI within the next year. The report, based on a survey of 190 senior decision-makers across various sectors, highlights the banking and finance industry as a leader in AI adoption. However, challenges remain, including budget constraints, data privacy concerns, and inadequate data quality, which could hinder progress. With 88% of executives prioritizing the scaling of AI initiatives, there is a strong emphasis on improving governance and data management to fully leverage AI's potential.

Potential Positives

86% of UK organizations have significantly changed their operating models to integrate AI, indicating a major shift in business practices that could enhance EXL's reputation as a leader in AI solutions.
The report highlights that 88% of companies see scaling AI initiatives as critically important, suggesting a growing market demand that EXL is well-positioned to meet with its offerings.
Significant investment in AI ($23.2 million per company on average) indicates strong financial commitment from organizations, potentially benefiting EXL's business as clients seek support in these initiatives.
EXL works with leading corporations across multiple industries, reinforcing its position as a trusted partner for companies navigating complex transformations involving AI.

Potential Negatives

Barriers to AI adoption are highlighted, including cost constraints and concerns about data privacy and security, which could hinder the company's growth.
Nearly 70% of companies report lacking the necessary data accessibility, quality, and transparency for effective AI integration, potentially reflecting challenges for EXL's own offerings and services.
The emphasis on significant investment in AI with limited immediate success may raise concerns about the company’s short-term effectiveness in this rapidly evolving sector.

FAQ

What percentage of UK businesses have changed their operating models for AI?

86% of UK organizations have significantly changed or completely redesigned their operating models to accommodate AI.

How many processes do companies expect to include AI in the next year?

Companies expect that 50% of their processes will include AI over the next year.

Which sectors lead in AI implementation according to the research?

The banking and finance sector leads in AI implementation, followed by utilities, insurance, and retail.

What are the main barriers to AI adoption for UK businesses?

The main barriers include cost constraints, data privacy concerns, and lack of a clear AI strategy.

What are the top priorities for scaling AI initiatives?

Improving data quality and accessibility, along with implementing AI governance, are ranked as top priorities.

Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.

$EXLS Insider Trading Activity

$EXLS insiders have traded $EXLS stock on the open market 14 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 14 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $EXLS stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

AJAY AYYAPPAN (EVP & Gen Counsel/Corp. Sec'y.) has made 0 purchases and 6 sales selling 23,040 shares for an estimated $1,176,638.
VIKAS BHALLA (President of EXL) sold 25,000 shares for an estimated $1,152,750
ANITA MAHON (Executive Vice President) has made 0 purchases and 5 sales selling 19,358 shares for an estimated $924,488.
JAYNIE M STUDENMUND sold 14,580 shares for an estimated $692,987
MAURIZIO NICOLELLI (Executive Vice President & CFO) sold 13,753 shares for an estimated $675,822

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.

$EXLS Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 236 institutional investors add shares of $EXLS stock to their portfolio, and 202 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

JPMORGAN CHASE & CO added 1,943,471 shares (+40.8%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $91,751,265
THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR LUTHERANS removed 1,379,202 shares (-57.5%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $65,112,126
MACKENZIE FINANCIAL CORP removed 1,292,792 shares (-32.7%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $61,032,710
WILLIAM BLAIR INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 1,222,061 shares (-23.7%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $57,693,499
DRIEHAUS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC added 1,221,793 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $57,680,847
BLACKROCK, INC. removed 1,152,827 shares (-4.8%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $54,424,962
INVESCO LTD. added 880,612 shares (+125.5%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $41,573,692

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.

$EXLS Analyst Ratings

Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $EXLS in the last several months. We have seen 1 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.

Here are some recent analyst ratings:

Jefferies issued a "Buy" rating on 01/21/2025

To track analyst ratings and price targets for $EXLS, check out Quiver Quantitative's $EXLS forecast page.

Full Release

LONDON, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Businesses in the UK are making significant changes in the ways they work as they increasingly embed AI throughout their workflows and to scale and maximise ROI, according to new research by EXL [NASDAQ: EXLS], a global data and AI company. An 86% majority of organisations have significantly changed their operating model to accommodate AI, with 39% having completely redesigned how they work. Over the next year, companies expect half (50%) of their processes will include AI.

The second annual EXL Enterprise AI Study: Driving Execution at Scale (UK Report) is based on a survey of 190 UK-based C-suite and other senior decision makers across the banking and finance, insurance, retail, utilities, and healthcare payer industries. Its findings shine a spotlight on the massive growth of enterprise GenAI implementations to date but also warn of data quality issues, talent shortages, and other roadblocks that could curtail some of the early progress companies have made as they move deeper into company-wide enterprise AI initiatives.

The following are some of the report’s key findings:

Finance Leading the Charge: Leaders have emerged in the AI space, and the survey defines these organisations as those that have developed AI capabilities in at least five of the seven common business functions analysed in the report. Leaders were most likely to come from the banking and finance sector (18%), followed by utilities (16%), insurance (12%), and retail (10%).
Transforming to Enable AI in the Workflow: Organisations are developing new operating models to accommodate AI usage across their enterprise workflows. Overall, 86% of UK corporations have either made significant changes to their operating models (47%) or completely redesigned enterprise-wide operating models (39%) to integrate AI throughout their organisations.
Barriers Still Persist: Despite an average of £23.2 million per company in AI investment, barriers to adoption persist. The largest of these are cost or budget constraints, followed by concerns about data privacy and security, and the lack of a clear AI strategy or vision. What’s more, nearly 70% of companies say they have yet to achieve the data accessibility, efficiency, quality, consistency, and transparency required for AI to thrive in their organisations.
Companies Eye the Best Ways to Scale AI: Overall, 88% of respondents said it’s very or extremely important for their organization to scale their AI initiatives in the coming year. Executives ranked implementing AI governance (42%) and improving data quality and accessibility (42%) as their top priorities.
Retailers Eager to Make Larger Investments: Retailers are the most likely (42%) to say they are ramping up GenAI significantly, followed by utilities (30%), banking and finance (24%), and insurers (9%).

“The only way large corporations can truly capitalise on the full power of AI is by integrating the technology into enterprise workflows,” said Anand “Andy” Logani, chief data and AI officer at EXL. “Executed well, the right AI strategy has the ability to deliver unmatched business value without disrupting core business functions.”

The full report, 2025 EXL Enterprise AI Study: Driving AI Execution at Scale (UK Report) , can be accessed here .

About EXL

EXL (NASDAQ: EXLS) is a global data and AI company that offers services and solutions to reinvent client business models, drive better outcomes and unlock growth with speed. EXL harnesses the power of data, AI, and deep industry knowledge to transform businesses, including the world’s leading corporations in industries including insurance, healthcare, banking and capital markets, retail, communications and media, and energy and infrastructure, among others. EXL was founded in 1999 with the core values of innovation, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect. We are headquartered in New York and have approximately 60,000 employees spanning six continents. For more information, visit www.exlservice.com.

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A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/516492ff-fe8c-4563-a2d3-10486840830b