Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) EVP Karrie Bem Sells 279 Shares of Stock

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) EVP Karrie Bem sold 279 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.44, for a total value of $100,841.76. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,018 shares in the company, valued at $1,452,265.92. This trade represents a 6.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Woodward Stock Up 0.1%

WWD stock opened at $349.41 on Tuesday. Woodward, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $204.03 and a fifty-two week high of $407.00. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $371.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $338.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.73. The company has a market capitalization of $20.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.92.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.69 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is 15.33%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WWD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Monday, April 20th. 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 target on the stock. Truist Financial upped their price target on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $390.27.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Woodline Partners LP bought a new position in Woodward in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in Woodward by 35.5% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $436,000 after acquiring an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Woodward by 684.3% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $920,000 after acquiring an additional 4,400 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,030 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $988,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 11.9% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $124,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. 81.18% of the stock is 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.