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

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $354.80.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research upgraded Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Woodward from $378.00 to $417.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a report on Sunday.

Woodward Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $380.43 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $325.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $280.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.05. Woodward has a 1-year low of $146.82 and a 1-year high of $403.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. The business had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.35 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Woodward will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This is an increase from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.11%.

Woodward announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 20th that permits the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the technology company to reacquire up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Woodward news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total transaction of $2,105,320.00. Following the sale, the director owned 9,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,890,303.60. The trade was a 42.14% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 47,450 shares of company stock worth $14,706,235. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $251,365,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in Woodward in the third quarter worth approximately $184,721,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Woodward by 122.0% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $228,849,000 after purchasing an additional 497,722 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its position in shares of Woodward by 1,086.9% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $83,524,000 after purchasing an additional 302,666 shares during the period. Finally, Findlay Park Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth $73,406,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.