Eschler Asset Management LLP Acquires Shares of 1,460 Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Eschler Asset Management LLP acquired a new stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor acquired 1,460 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $441,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward during the first quarter valued at about $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 35.5% during the first 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 grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 684.3% during the first 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. grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 7.0% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,030 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $988,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 11.9% during the second 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 in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Down 0.4%

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $386.85 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.89. Woodward, Inc. has a one year low of $230.68 and a one year high of $407.00. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $368.97 and a 200 day simple moving average of $350.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.73.

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

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.33%.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In related news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,578,725.70. This trade 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 accessible through this link. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total value of $104,344.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,601,320.02. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 15,629 shares of company stock valued at $5,570,005 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Susquehanna assumed coverage on Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price for the company. UBS Group raised their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Zacks Research downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Woodward in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Woodward presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $393.00.

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.