Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Takes $14.17 Million Position in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 33,315 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,174,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio owned 0.06% of Woodward as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,984,684,000. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 3.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,388,758 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $603,663,000 after acquiring an additional 80,538 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,491,870 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $451,093,000 after acquiring an additional 106,390 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership raised its holdings in Woodward by 45.7% during the fourth quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 1,065,294 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $322,060,000 after purchasing an additional 334,333 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Woodward by 8.5% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 982,448 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $297,014,000 after purchasing an additional 76,870 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Price Performance

NASDAQ WWD opened at $341.81 on Monday. Woodward, Inc. has a 1 year low of $233.31 and a 1 year high of $450.92. The business’s fifty day moving average is $387.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $379.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.65.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a return on equity of 21.89% and a net margin of 13.17%.The business had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.76 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s payout ratio is presently 14.24%.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total transaction of $767,163.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,098 shares in the company, valued at $1,105,428.36. The trade was a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on WWD. Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Zacks Research cut Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, July 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $419.00.

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.