Zions Bancorporation National Association UT Lowers Position in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Zions Bancorporation National Association UT decreased its position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 13.2% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 13,891 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 2,115 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT’s holdings in Woodward were worth $3,510,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. AlphaQuest LLC increased its position in shares of Woodward by 300.8% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 6,766 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,710,000 after acquiring an additional 5,078 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in shares of Woodward by 35.6% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 25,688 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $6,300,000 after purchasing an additional 6,741 shares in the last quarter. Syntax Research Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Woodward in the third quarter worth $1,011,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at $878,000. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at $12,300,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on WWD shares. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Melius Research upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $354.80.

Woodward Stock Down 0.3%

NASDAQ WWD opened at $379.39 on Monday. Woodward, Inc. has a 52 week low of $146.82 and a 52 week high of $403.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a market capitalization of $22.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.00. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $327.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $281.54.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued 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. The business had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.35 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. This is an increase from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s payout ratio is currently 14.11%.

Woodward declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 20th that permits the company to buyback $1.80 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the technology company to buy up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Eileen P. Paterson sold 5,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $378.15, for a total value of $1,966,380.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,538 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $959,744.70. The trade was a 67.20% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total value of $2,105,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 9,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,890,303.60. The trade was a 42.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 47,450 shares of company stock worth $14,706,235. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.