Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) Short Interest Down 20.7% in December

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 877,027 shares, a decrease of 20.7% from the November 30th total of 1,105,478 shares. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 596,886 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.5 days. Based on an average trading volume of 596,886 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.5 days. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Woodward Stock Performance

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $303.10 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $282.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $260.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 1.02. Woodward has a fifty-two week low of $146.82 and a fifty-two week high of $317.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.36.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 24th. The technology company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.26. Woodward had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 17.68%. The company had revenue of $995.26 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $943.15 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.41 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 20th that permits the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the technology company to reacquire up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on WWD shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wolfe Research set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Woodward and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $298.78.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In related news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total value of $1,489,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director directly owned 9,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,890,303.60. This trade represents a 42.14% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock valued at $11,908,210. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Woodward by 35.6% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 25,688 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $6,300,000 after purchasing an additional 6,741 shares in the last quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Woodward in the second quarter worth approximately $246,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in Woodward by 7.2% in the second quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 16,681 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $4,088,000 after acquiring an additional 1,121 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of Woodward by 0.7% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 165,286 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $30,163,000 after acquiring an additional 1,146 shares in the last quarter. Finally, U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth approximately $2,079,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.