Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) Shares Gap Up on Strong Earnings

Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:WLDN)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $73.69, but opened at $85.97. Willdan Group shares last traded at $84.90, with a volume of 140,004 shares trading hands.

The construction company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.77. Willdan Group had a net margin of 8.24% and a return on equity of 23.36%. The business had revenue of $231.03 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $102.27 million. Willdan Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WLDN has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Research cut Willdan Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Willdan Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Wedbush started coverage on Willdan Group in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $110.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willdan Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Willdan Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $117.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Willdan Group news, CEO Michael A. Bieber sold 56,676 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.58, for a total value of $5,190,388.08. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 249,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,851,499.50. This represents a 18.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Willdan Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WLDN. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in Willdan Group by 3.2% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 76,990 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,134,000 after purchasing an additional 2,386 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Willdan Group by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 7,530 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $307,000 after purchasing an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Willdan Group by 35.1% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 214,421 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $8,731,000 after purchasing an additional 55,704 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Willdan Group by 205.9% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 25,302 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,030,000 after purchasing an additional 17,031 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Willdan Group by 10.9% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 87,234 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,453,000 after buying an additional 8,602 shares during the last quarter. 72.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Willdan Group Trading Up 11.4%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.13 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $81.40 and a 200-day moving average price of $89.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

About Willdan Group

Willdan Group, Inc provides energy efficiency, infrastructure engineering, and technical consulting services to a diverse range of public and private sector clients. The company works with utilities, municipalities, state and federal agencies, and commercial enterprises to design, implement, and manage programs that promote sustainable energy use, grid modernization, and resilient infrastructure. Willdan’s offerings span program design and implementation, energy audits, measurement and verification, and project management for both new construction and retrofit initiatives.

Core services include energy advisory and engineering solutions, including feasibility studies, facility commissioning and retro-commissioning, $0 down financing for energy projects, and demand response program development.