Senator Investment Group LP Trims Holdings in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Senator Investment Group LP reduced its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 4.9% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 451,538 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 23,289 shares during the period. Woodward accounts for about 5.5% of Senator Investment Group LP’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Senator Investment Group LP’s holdings in Woodward were worth $136,509,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in Woodward during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in Woodward during the fourth quarter worth approximately $44,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its stake in Woodward by 131.1% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 282 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Woodward by 107.6% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 411 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $101,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in Woodward during the fourth quarter worth approximately $101,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 target price for the company. Susquehanna assumed coverage on Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $393.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the director owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,578,725.70. The trade was a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,601,320.02. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 15,629 shares of company stock valued at $5,570,005 in the last three months. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Woodward Stock Up 4.0%

Shares of NASDAQ WWD opened at $402.50 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.20, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.89. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $369.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $352.35. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $233.31 and a 52-week high of $407.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 20.12%. Woodward’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.69 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s payout ratio is 15.33%.

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.