Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Stock Rating Upgraded by Melius Research

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) was upgraded by equities researchers at Melius Research to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also commented on WWD. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $329.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Melius upgraded Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. One 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $298.78.

Woodward Price Performance

WWD opened at $322.59 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $19.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.87, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a 50-day moving average of $288.88 and a 200-day moving average of $263.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.08. Woodward has a 1-year low of $146.82 and a 1-year high of $328.42.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 24th. The technology company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $995.26 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $943.15 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 17.68%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.41 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Woodward will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, November 20th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the technology company to reacquire up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total transaction of $888,990.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at $6,393,319.75. This trade represents a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total value of $1,489,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WWD. AdvisorNet Financial Inc lifted its holdings in Woodward by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,586 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $401,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,221 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Woodward by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. now owns 1,553 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in Woodward by 4.2% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,036 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $267,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Woodward by 1.7% during the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,626 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $644,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.