Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Shares Gap Down – Here’s What Happened

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) shares gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $385.42, but opened at $358.01. Woodward shares last traded at $352.1730, with a volume of 242,477 shares trading hands.

More Woodward News

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Woodward reported fiscal Q3 adjusted earnings of $2.52 per share, above the $2.44 consensus estimate and up 43.2% from the prior year’s $1.76. Revenue rose 21.2% year over year to approximately $1.11 billion, in line with expectations, supported by aerospace and industrial demand, pricing and higher volumes. WWD Q3 Earnings Beat on Aerospace and Industrial Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.30-$9.50 and revenue guidance to $4.3-$4.4 billion, citing the strong quarter and confidence in the fourth quarter. The EPS range brackets the roughly $9.40 analyst consensus. Woodward Reports Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Woodward is targeting approximately 1,000 fewer hires by 2029, with automation and efficiency initiatives potentially supporting longer-term margin expansion. RBC Capital maintained its Buy/Outperform stance following the results. Woodward raises 2026 adjusted EPS view
• Neutral Sentiment: The results reinforce strong operating momentum, but revenue was only broadly in line with expectations and the updated guidance remains close to existing analyst forecasts rather than representing a major upside surprise.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear focused on reports that Woodward’s aerospace outlook narrowed. That concern may outweigh the earnings beat because aerospace is a key growth driver and raises questions about the pace and durability of future orders. Woodward’s shares fall as aerospace outlook narrows

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on WWD shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Zacks Research raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Susquehanna started coverage on Woodward in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $393.83.

Woodward Stock Performance

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 firm has a 50 day moving average price of $395.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $377.11. The stock has a market cap of $20.85 billion, a PE ratio of 41.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.86.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.44 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 20.12%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WWD. Accel Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 963 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $410,000 after buying an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Fruth Investment Management purchased a new stake in Woodward during the second quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Woodward by 3.6% during the second quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 13,866 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $5,899,000 after acquiring an additional 484 shares during the last quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Woodward by 550.0% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 91 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in Woodward in the second quarter valued at approximately $57,599,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Company 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.