Melius Research Upgrades Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) to “Strong-Buy”

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) was upgraded by investment analysts at Melius Research to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $294.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Wolfe Research set a $300.00 target price on shares of Woodward and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Melius raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $298.78.

Woodward Stock Performance

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $322.59 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.87, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.02. Woodward has a 12 month low of $146.82 and a 12 month high of $328.42. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $288.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $263.47.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 24th. The technology company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.26. Woodward had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 17.68%. The business had revenue of $995.26 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $943.15 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.41 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 16.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current 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 buy up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total transaction of $888,990.00. Following the sale, the director owned 21,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,393,319.75. The trade was a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total transaction of $1,489,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares in the company, valued at $4,508,413.80. The trade was a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new position in Woodward in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,039,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Woodward by 0.7% in 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 purchasing an additional 1,146 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its position in shares of Woodward by 35.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 45,928 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $8,381,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Woodward by 684.3% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $920,000 after buying an additional 4,400 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

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.