Brokerages Set Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) Price Target at $406.45

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $406.4545.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WWD shares. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, July 17th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Susquehanna initiated coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price objective on the stock.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In related news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The stock was 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 directly owned 3,098 shares in the company, valued at $1,105,428.36. The trade was a 40.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,601,320.02. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 17,779 shares of company stock valued at $6,337,168 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,984,684,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $251,365,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted 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 valued at $228,849,000 after buying an additional 497,722 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Woodward during the second quarter valued at approximately $184,322,000. Finally, Findlay Park Partners LLP grew its position in shares of Woodward by 136.2% in the fourth quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP now owns 686,200 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $207,452,000 after purchasing an additional 395,726 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WWD opened at $362.89 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Woodward has a 52 week low of $233.31 and a 52 week high of $450.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $396.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $378.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.88.

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

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.24%.

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.