The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Sells 2,345 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lowered its stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 7.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 30,587 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 2,345 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned approximately 0.05% of Woodward worth $10,948,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WWD. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter worth approximately $251,365,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 122.0% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $228,849,000 after purchasing an additional 497,722 shares during the period. Findlay Park Partners LLP increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 136.2% during the fourth quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP now owns 686,200 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $207,452,000 after purchasing an additional 395,726 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Woodward by 45.7% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP lifted 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 worth $83,524,000 after purchasing an additional 302,666 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Up 0.8%

NASDAQ WWD opened at $363.57 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $395.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $377.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.66 billion, a PE ratio of 40.44, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.88. Woodward, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $233.31 and a fifty-two week high of $450.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In other news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,578,725.70. This represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of the firm’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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,105,428.36. This trade represents a 40.97% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 17,779 shares of company stock worth $6,337,168. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Susquehanna began coverage on Woodward in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price objective on the stock. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $470.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. TD Cowen upped their price target 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $406.00.

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.