Royal Bank of Canada Boosts Stake in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 11.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 70,721 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,994 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in Woodward were worth $25,311,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Woodward during the first quarter worth approximately $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in Woodward by 35.5% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 626 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position in Woodward by 684.3% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $920,000 after purchasing an additional 4,400 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in Woodward by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,030 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $988,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Woodward by 11.9% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $124,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In other news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $65,675.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,648 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,295,040. This trade represents a 4.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total value of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,105,428.36. This represents a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 17,779 shares of company stock valued at $6,337,168. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Woodward Stock Up 2.8%

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $373.67 on Wednesday. Woodward, Inc. has a one year low of $233.31 and a one year high of $450.92. The company has a market cap of $22.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.57, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.65. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $396.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $378.13.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The business had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.76 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on WWD. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Susquehanna initiated coverage on Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Wall Street Zen cut Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $406.45.

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.