Ceredex Value Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 56,650 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,101,000. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC owned 0.10% of Woodward at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward in the second quarter valued at about $2,984,684,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter worth about $251,365,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Woodward by 122.0% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $228,849,000 after acquiring an additional 497,722 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Woodward in the 2nd quarter valued at about $184,322,000. Finally, Findlay Park Partners LLP raised its stake in Woodward by 136.2% during the 4th quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP now owns 686,200 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $207,452,000 after acquiring an additional 395,726 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts have weighed in on WWD shares. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, July 17th. TD Cowen increased 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $470.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Woodward currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $419.00.
Woodward Stock Performance
Shares of WWD stock opened at $342.20 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $396.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $380.92. The company has a market cap of $20.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.88. Woodward, Inc. has a 12-month low of $233.31 and a 12-month high of $450.92.
Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a return on equity of 21.89% and a net margin of 13.17%.The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.76 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current year.
Woodward Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s payout ratio is presently 14.24%.
Key Stories Impacting Woodward
Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $9.46 from $9.18, lifted FY2027 EPS to $10.35 from $10.30, and increased FY2028 EPS to $12.00 from $11.55. The firm also raised estimates for Q4 2026, Q1 and Q2 2027, and Q1 and Q2 2028, signaling improved longer-term earnings expectations. Woodward stock information
- Neutral Sentiment: The FY2026 estimate of $9.46 matches the broader consensus, while Zacks continues to rate WWD “Hold.” This suggests the estimate increases are constructive but not strong enough to trigger a more bullish analyst view. Woodward analyst information
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced its Q3 2027 EPS forecast to $2.77 from $2.82 and cut its Q4 2027 estimate to $2.77 from $2.86. It also lowered Q3 2028 EPS to $3.24 from $3.27, indicating some moderation in projected earnings growth. Woodward research information
Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward
In related news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total transaction of $767,163.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Woodward
- 3 Energy Stocks Raising Dividends as the Sector Surges
- 5 Reasons the S&P 500 Could Keep Rallying Through Year-End
- Walmart’s Post-Earnings Drop Could Be a Buying Opportunity
- The Trade Desk’s Earnings Miss Raises a Bigger Question About Its AI Future
Receive News & Ratings for Woodward Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Woodward and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
