Snyder Capital Management L P Cuts Stake in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Snyder Capital Management L P cut its holdings in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 1.6% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 506,719 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 8,225 shares during the quarter. Woodward makes up 2.4% of Snyder Capital Management L P’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Snyder Capital Management L P’s holdings in Woodward were worth $128,053,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AdvisorNet Financial Inc boosted its position in shares of Woodward by 2.6% during the third quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,586 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $401,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in Woodward by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,221 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. now owns 1,553 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $392,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Woodward by 1.7% during the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,626 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $644,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. grew its position in shares of Woodward by 3.0% during the third quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,596 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $403,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ WWD opened at $384.99 on Thursday. Woodward, Inc. has a 12-month low of $146.82 and a 12-month high of $403.31. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $350.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $293.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.95 billion, a PE ratio of 48.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.07% and a net margin of 12.89%.The firm had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $901.92 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.35 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, November 20th that allows the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the technology company to purchase up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is an increase from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.12%.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In related news, Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $369.62, for a total transaction of $831,645.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at $7,974,551.50. The trade was a 9.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total transaction of $1,489,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 have sold a total of 22,450 shares of company stock valued at $7,241,225 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WWD has been the subject of a number of research reports. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Melius Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Woodward currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $354.80.

Woodward 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.