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

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $312.00.

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $345.00 to $378.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Melius Research upgraded Woodward to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Truist Financial set a $366.00 price objective on Woodward in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Woodward from $350.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Woodward Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $333.06 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $19.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.32, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.02. Woodward has a 1 year low of $146.82 and a 1 year high of $338.17. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $298.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $267.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.36.

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

Woodward announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 20th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the technology company to repurchase up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Woodward news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total transaction of $1,489,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares in the company, valued at $4,508,413.80. The trade was a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,393,319.75. This represents a 12.21% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 40,000 shares of company stock valued at $11,908,210 over the last three months. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its position in Woodward by 1,766.7% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc purchased a new stake in Woodward in the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the second quarter worth $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Company Profile

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.