Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $395.50.

WWD has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $470.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Woodward in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Susquehanna began coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price on the stock.

Woodward Price Performance

NASDAQ WWD opened at $392.88 on Monday. Woodward has a 1 year low of $233.31 and a 1 year high of $450.92. The business’s fifty day moving average is $387.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $371.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.86. 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 issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.69 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Woodward will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.33%.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of Woodward 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 transaction, the director directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,578,725.70. The trade was a 76.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,601,320.02. The trade was a 6.12% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward in the first quarter worth approximately $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth grew its position in Woodward by 35.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position in Woodward by 684.3% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $920,000 after purchasing an additional 4,400 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Woodward by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,030 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $988,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Woodward by 11.9% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $124,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. 81.18% of the stock is 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.