Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp Purchases New Holdings in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor purchased 3,473 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $878,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,586 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $401,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Woodward by 1.7% during the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,626 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $644,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in Woodward by 11.9% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $124,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp boosted its stake in Woodward by 3.1% in the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 1,909 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $468,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Woodward by 4.1% in the second quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 1,492 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $366,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Stock Performance

Shares of WWD opened at $373.31 on Thursday. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $146.82 and a 52-week high of $384.66. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $315.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is $275.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $901.92 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.35 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This is a positive change from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s payout ratio is 15.58%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total value of $888,990.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,393,319.75. This represents a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares in the company, valued at $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Melius Research upgraded Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Woodward from $378.00 to $417.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $342.80.

Key Headlines Impacting Woodward

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Woodward posted a clear earnings beat for Q1 FY26 — EPS and revenue topped estimates, revenue grew ~29% year-over-year, and management raised FY26 guidance (EPS range 8.20–8.60). The combination of a beat plus higher guidance is the main catalyst behind the rally. Woodward Delivers Strong Q4 CY2025 Numbers
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary is framing Woodward as a guidance-driven winner this earnings season — investors are rewarding companies that beat and raise outlooks, and Woodward fits that playbook given its exposure to aerospace and data-center/self-generation demand. Palantir and Woodward Jumped on Earnings Beats
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising targets after the print — UBS bumped its target to $417 and Truist to $404, reflecting renewed buy-side confidence and providing additional upside support for the stock. UBS Price Target Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Woodward hit a 52-week high on the rally, prompting questions about whether the momentum can continue — readers should watch order trends and margin outlook for confirmation. Zacks: Hits Fresh High
• Neutral Sentiment: Management also announced a dividend increase, which supports shareholder returns but has raised questions about valuation given the stock’s run-up. Monitor payout policy vs. cash flow. Dividend Hike and Earnings Strength
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping: shareholders approved director and governance items at the annual meeting — routine but removes a potential governance overhang. Shareholder Approvals
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is a near-term risk: after the strong move the stock trades at a rich multiple (high P/E and PEG), prompting some analysts and market pieces to question how much upside remains without continued beat-and-raise performance. Valuation Discussion

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.