UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Stock

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) had its price objective increased by investment analysts at UBS Group from $378.00 to $417.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the technology company’s stock. UBS Group’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 10.24% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Zacks Research upgraded Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Woodward from $329.00 to $362.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $338.20.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of Woodward stock traded up $51.01 on Tuesday, hitting $378.26. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 461,073 shares, compared to its average volume of 532,012. Woodward has a 1 year low of $146.82 and a 1 year high of $382.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.08. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $312.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $273.63. The company has a market capitalization of $22.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. The business had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $901.92 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 17.68%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.35 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 20th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the technology company to purchase up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total transaction of $2,105,320.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 9,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,890,303.60. This represents a 42.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total transaction of $888,990.00. Following the sale, the director owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at $6,393,319.75. This trade represents a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Woodward during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its position in Woodward by 1,766.7% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc acquired a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results materially beat expectations — EPS $2.17 vs. ~$1.65 consensus and revenue ~$996.5M (+29% Y/Y); management raised FY26 EPS and revenue guidance, driving the rally. Zacks: Q1 Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Company press release highlights the strong quarter and updated FY26 guidance (EPS 8.20–8.60, revenue ≈ $4.1–4.2B), which exceeded consensus. GlobeNewswire: Results
• Positive Sentiment: Board raised the quarterly dividend by 14% to $0.32/share, signaling confidence in cash flow and capital allocation. GlobeNewswire: Dividend Hike
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum: Truist raised its price target to $404 and maintained a Buy, adding institutional validation to the outlook. Benzinga: Truist PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion driven by aerospace services and industrial demand was highlighted in post‑earnings deep dives — supports sustainable profitability improvement. Yahoo: Margin Deep Dive
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed resources (earnings call transcript, slide deck, and presentation) are available for investors who want line‑by‑line guidance and segment commentary. Yahoo: Transcript/Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional and hedge‑fund positioning has been mixed in recent quarters (some large adds and removes); watch 13F/ownership updates for flows. Quiver: Institutional Activity
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts and articles flag valuation questions after the strong report — WWD now trades at elevated multiples vs. history, which could limit near‑term upside absent sustained execution. Yahoo: Valuation Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Notable insider selling reported in recent months (multiple executive sales), which some investors may view as a cautionary signal. Quiver: Insider Activity

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.