Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Research Coverage Started at Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage issued an overweight rating and a $440.00 target price on the technology company’s stock.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on WWD. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Truist Financial upped their price target on Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $379.50.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of WWD opened at $371.78 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $22.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50-day moving average of $371.20 and a 200-day moving average of $312.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.36. Woodward has a 1 year low of $146.82 and a 1 year high of $403.31.

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

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th were given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 19th. This is a positive change from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s payout ratio is currently 16.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $369.62, for a total transaction of $831,645.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,974,551.50. This trade represents a 9.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total transaction of $711,084.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,095 shares in the company, valued at $1,189,625.15. This trade represents a 37.41% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 26,925 shares of company stock valued at $10,203,160. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Woodward in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in shares of Woodward by 1,766.7% in the third 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 period. Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in Woodward during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

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.