First Growth Capital LLC Takes $916,000 Position in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

First Growth Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,029 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $916,000. Woodward accounts for approximately 0.9% of First Growth Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Woodline Partners LP bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the first quarter valued at about $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in Woodward by 35.5% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Woodward by 684.3% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $920,000 after purchasing an additional 4,400 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 265 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Woodward Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $430.08 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Woodward, Inc. has a 12-month low of $233.31 and a 12-month high of $445.29. The company has a market capitalization of $25.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.51, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.89. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $372.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $355.09.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.17. Woodward had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 20.12%. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.69 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. Woodward’s payout ratio is currently 15.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $393.00.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. This represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the firm’s 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 directly owned 4,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,601,320.02. This represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,629 shares of company stock valued at $5,570,005. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Woodward 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.