Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Lowers Holdings in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 63.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,207 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 2,065 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Woodward were worth $432,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 4.2% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,036 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $267,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its stake in Woodward by 1.5% during the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 3,327 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $841,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Woodward by 1.2% during the third quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC now owns 4,313 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,090,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC grew its stake in Woodward by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 13,417 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $4,056,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased 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 acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $396.93 on Tuesday. Woodward, Inc. has a 52 week low of $233.31 and a 52 week high of $450.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.54, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.86. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $385.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $369.50. 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 (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 20.12%. The business’s revenue was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.69 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s payout ratio is presently 15.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on WWD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Woodward in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $470.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Woodward presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $395.50.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $65,675.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,648 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,295,040. This trade represents a 4.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of Woodward 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 approximately $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005 over the last three months. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.