Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on WWD. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. TD Cowen increased their price target on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Susquehanna assumed coverage on Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $406.45.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of WWD stock opened at $365.78 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The company has a market capitalization of $21.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.88. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $396.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $378.63. Woodward has a one year low of $233.31 and a one year high of $450.92.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.44 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The company’s revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.76 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Woodward 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 yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.24%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,601,320.02. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of Woodward 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 transaction, the director owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 17,779 shares of company stock worth $6,337,168. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Woodward by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,491,870 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $451,093,000 after acquiring an additional 106,390 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Woodward by 15.4% in the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 169,174 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $51,145,000 after purchasing an additional 22,555 shares during the last quarter. Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter worth $24,436,000. Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter worth $1,164,000. Finally, Aubrey Capital Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 4th quarter valued at $2,812,000. 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.