Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) Short Interest Update

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 537,762 shares, a drop of 38.7% from the December 15th total of 877,027 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 553,281 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.0 days. Currently, 0.9% of the company’s shares are sold short. Currently, 0.9% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 553,281 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.0 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WWD has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Melius upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Truist Financial set a $366.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $350.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Woodward presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $309.22.

Woodward Stock Performance

Woodward stock opened at $336.00 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.16 billion, a PE ratio of 46.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.02. Woodward has a one year low of $146.82 and a one year high of $338.17. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $296.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $266.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.08.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 24th. The technology company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $995.26 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $943.15 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 17.68%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.41 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Woodward will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 20th that permits the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the technology company to buy up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total value of $2,105,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 9,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,890,303.60. The trade was a 42.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total value of $1,489,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210 over the last ninety days. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its position in shares of Woodward by 1,766.7% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Kilter Group LLC acquired a new stake in Woodward in the second quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

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.