Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to Hold

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday.

WWD has been the subject of a number of other research reports. UBS Group upped their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Susquehanna initiated coverage on Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research lowered shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $406.45.

Woodward Price Performance

WWD stock opened at $362.89 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $21.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $396.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $378.52. Woodward has a 1 year low of $233.31 and a 1 year high of $450.92.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The company’s revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.76 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Woodward will post 9.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Woodward news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owned 3,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,105,428.36. This represents a 40.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,601,320.02. The trade was a 6.12% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 17,779 shares of company stock valued at $6,337,168 over the last ninety days. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Woodward during the second quarter worth $2,984,684,000. State Street Corp boosted its position in Woodward by 3.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,388,758 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $603,663,000 after acquiring an additional 80,538 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Woodward by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,491,870 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $451,093,000 after acquiring an additional 106,390 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its holdings in Woodward by 45.7% during the 4th quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 1,065,294 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $322,060,000 after acquiring an additional 334,333 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Woodward by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 982,448 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $297,014,000 after acquiring an additional 76,870 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Woodward

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.