Newport Trust Company LLC Reduces Holdings in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Newport Trust Company LLC cut its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 3.8% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,002,182 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 78,030 shares during the quarter. Woodward accounts for 1.4% of Newport Trust Company LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Newport Trust Company LLC’s holdings in Woodward were worth $605,300,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WWD. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at about $184,721,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Woodward by 122.0% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $228,849,000 after acquiring an additional 497,722 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its holdings in Woodward by 1,086.9% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $83,524,000 after acquiring an additional 302,666 shares during the period. Findlay Park Partners LLP purchased a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at about $73,406,000. Finally, Kinetic Partners Management LP purchased a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at about $56,556,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other news, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.40, for a total value of $1,837,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 65,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,194,759.60. This represents a 7.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total value of $104,344.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,601,320.02. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 20,219 shares of company stock valued at $7,675,530. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $355.76 on Friday. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.03 and a 52-week high of $407.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $370.04 and a 200-day moving average price of $340.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.73.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.17. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.69 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is currently 15.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on WWD. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a report on Sunday, February 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Zacks Research cut Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wall Street Zen cut Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $390.27.

Trending Headlines about Woodward

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple earnings estimates for Woodward, including FY2026, FY2027, and several quarterly periods through FY2028, signaling improved profit expectations and a stronger long-term earnings outlook for the aerospace and industrial supplier.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm’s FY2028 EPS estimate was increased to $11.55 from $10.95, reinforcing the view that Woodward can continue growing earnings at a healthy pace.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the higher forecasts, Zacks Research kept its rating at “Hold,” which suggests the analyst upgrade in estimates was not accompanied by a more bullish stock recommendation.
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Karrie Bem sold 185 shares in a recent insider transaction, adding a small overhang to sentiment as investors often watch executive selling for signs of reduced confidence. SEC filing

Woodward Profile

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.