Varenne Capital Partners Takes $36.83 Million Position in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Varenne Capital Partners bought a new position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 86,629 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $36,830,000. Woodward comprises about 6.1% of Varenne Capital Partners’ portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Varenne Capital Partners owned 0.15% of Woodward at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WWD. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new position in Woodward during the 1st quarter worth $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in shares of Woodward by 35.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 626 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted 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 worth $920,000 after buying an additional 4,400 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted 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 worth $988,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings 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 worth $124,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on WWD shares. Zacks Research cut Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Susquehanna initiated coverage on Woodward in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, July 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Woodward currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $419.00.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $346.22 on Monday. 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 business’s fifty day moving average price is $378.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $378.11. The stock has a market cap of $20.44 billion, a PE ratio of 38.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.87. Woodward, Inc. has a one year low of $233.31 and a one year high of $450.92.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.44 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 21.89% and a net margin of 13.17%.The business’s revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.76 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th were issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is 14.24%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Shawn McLevige sold 2,150 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total transaction of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,098 shares in the company, valued at $1,105,428.36. The trade was a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.