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

Shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the sixteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $393.00.

A number of equities analysts have commented on WWD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Woodward in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial increased their target price on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Monday, April 20th. UBS Group increased their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Susquehanna assumed coverage on Woodward in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price on the stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,578,725.70. This represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares in the company, valued at $1,601,320.02. The trade was a 6.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005 over the last quarter. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Woodward by 82.5% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter worth approximately $61,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Woodward Price Performance

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $434.83 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $25.91 billion, a PE ratio of 52.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.89. Woodward has a 12 month low of $233.31 and a 12 month high of $435.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $371.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $354.18.

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

Woodward Dividend Announcement

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

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.