Insider Selling: Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) CEO Sells $1,923,750.00 in Stock

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) CEO Charles Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.75, for a total transaction of $1,923,750.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 65,829 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,327,707.75. This represents a 7.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Woodward Stock Performance

Shares of WWD opened at $385.91 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.01 billion, a PE ratio of 48.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $358.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $298.71. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $146.82 and a 52-week high of $403.31.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. Woodward’s revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.35 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 20th that permits the company to buyback $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the technology company to purchase up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th were paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 19th. This is an increase from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is 16.12%.

Woodward News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results and guidance: Woodward reported a material beat (EPS $2.17 vs. $1.65 expected) and ~28.8% revenue growth year‑over‑year, and set FY‑2026 guidance at $8.20–$8.60 — these fundamentals underpin recent analyst upgrades and justify a premium valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: Aerospace portfolio expansion: Woodward agreed to acquire Valve Research & Manufacturing (VRM), adding precision flow‑control valves to support next‑generation aircraft programs — a strategic bolt‑on that should expand addressable market and margin mix in Aerospace. Woodward Announces Deal to Acquire VRM
• Positive Sentiment: Capital return / dividend increase: Board authorized up to $1.8B in buybacks (~11.6% of shares) and raised the quarterly dividend (most recent payout $0.32), which supports EPS per‑share accretion and investor yield expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest eased: Short interest fell ~13.1% late February to ~655K shares (≈1.1% of float), reducing potential short‑pressure and the likelihood of a large short‑covering squeeze. No article link
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus: Street coverage is constructive (consensus “Moderate Buy” with mixed price targets); several firms raised targets after the beat, but some downgraded from “strong buy” to hold at higher absolute prices — implies upside but some valuation caution. Woodward Given Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership: Roughly 81% of shares are held by institutions — supportive for stable demand but can limit free‑float liquidity and amplify moves on large trades. No article link
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold multiple blocks in early March (reported sales of 5,000; 5,000; and 2,625 shares in separate filings), generating proceeds of several million dollars — markets often view clustered insider sales as a mild negative signal even if pre‑planned. SEC Filing: Insider Ownership Changes InsiderTrades: Blankenship Sells WWD

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on WWD. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $378.00 to $417.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Woodward currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $354.80.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new stake in Woodward during the first quarter valued at about $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth increased its position in shares of Woodward by 35.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $436,000 after acquiring an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Woodward by 684.3% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $920,000 after acquiring an additional 4,400 shares in the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward during the second quarter valued at approximately $206,000. Finally, Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward during the second quarter valued at approximately $334,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

About Woodward

Woodward, Inc (NASDAQ: WWD) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and service of control systems and components for the aerospace and industrial markets. Founded in 1870 and headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, the company specializes in motion control, fuel systems, actuation, and digital control solutions. Its offerings enable precision management of flow, pressure and motion in critical applications ranging from aircraft engines and power turbines to hydraulic systems.

Woodward’s product portfolio is organized into two primary segments: Aerospace and Industrial.