ExlService (EXLS) vs GDS (GDS)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 7, 2026.
Summary
GDS (GDS) has outperformed ExlService (EXLS) over the past year, losing 15.0% versus a loss of 16.2%. Over five years, EXLS leads with a +43.0% price change compared with -45.5% for GDS. GDS is the larger company by market cap ($6.34 billion vs $5.38 billion), about 1.2 times the size.
On valuation, ExlService trades at a lower forward P/E (13.7x vs 5044.5x for GDS).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | EXLS | GDS |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $35.51 | $31.63 |
| Market cap | $5.38B | $6.34B |
| 1-day change | +0.28% | +1.93% |
| YTD return | -16.33% | -8.68% |
| 1-year return | -16.15% | -15.01% |
| 5-year return | +43.01% | -45.50% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 22.47 | 14.71 |
| Forward P/E | 13.67 | — |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.58 | $2.15 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $2.09B | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +13.56% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $251.02M | — |
| Gross margin | 38.37% | — |
| Operating margin | 15.03% | — |
| Net margin | 12.02% | — |
| 52-week high | $43.88 | $48.61 |
| 52-week low | $24.85 | $26.97 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -19.07% | -34.93% |
| Analyst consensus | strong_buy | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +25.68% | +58.96% |
| Average volume | 2.22M | 1.60M |
| Shares outstanding | 151.61M | 194.93M |
| Employees | 65,000 | 2,434 |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Technology |
| Industry | Business Services | Computer Software: Programming Data Processing |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- ExlService trades at a higher earnings multiple (22.5x vs 14.7x trailing P/E).
- The two companies sit in different sectors: ExlService in Consumer Discretionary and GDS in Technology.
About ExlService
EXLS stock →ExlService Holdings, Inc., operates as a data and artificial intelligence (AI) company in the North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Insurance; Healthcare and Life Sciences; Banking, Capital Markets, and Diversified Industries; and International Growth Markets.
Consumer Discretionary · Business Services · 65,000 employees
About GDS
GDS stock →GDS Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development and operation of data centers in the People's Republic of China. It provides colocation services comprising critical facilities space, customer-available power, racks, and cooling; managed hosting services, including business continuity and disaster recovery, network management, data storage, system security, operating system, database, and server middleware services; managed cloud services; and consulting services.
Technology · Computer Software: Programming Data Processing · 2,434 employees
EXLS vs GDS FAQ
Which is bigger, ExlService or GDS?
GDS (GDS) is larger, with a market capitalization of $6.34B compared with $5.38B for ExlService (EXLS).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, EXLS or GDS?
GDS returned -15.01% over the past 12 months, compared with -16.15% for EXLS (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, EXLS or GDS?
GDS has the lower trailing P/E at 14.7, versus 22.5 for EXLS. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Are ExlService and GDS in the same industry?
No. ExlService is in the Consumer Discretionary sector, while GDS is in Technology.