Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $445.29 and last traded at $434.3780, with a volume of 1851283 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $430.08.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on WWD. Zacks Research cut shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Susquehanna initiated coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price for the company. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Woodward in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 price objective on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $393.00.

Woodward Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.52 billion, a PE ratio of 51.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.89. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $374.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $357.87.

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

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. Woodward’s payout ratio is currently 15.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Woodward news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $65,675.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,648 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,295,040. The trade was a 4.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,578,725.70. The trade was a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Woodward by 82.5% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in Woodward during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Woodward during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $61,000. 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.