Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Has $1.66 Million Stake in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 41.7% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 6,575 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 4,697 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Woodward were worth $1,662,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its position in shares of Woodward by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,586 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $401,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Woodward by 3.5% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,221 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Woodward by 2.8% in the third quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. now owns 1,553 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $392,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Woodward by 1.7% in the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,626 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $644,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. boosted its holdings in Woodward by 3.0% in the third quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,596 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $403,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on WWD shares. Melius Research raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $354.80.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total value of $711,084.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,095 shares in the company, valued at $1,189,625.15. This trade represents a 37.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 2,625 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.80, for a total value of $1,010,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,340,619.20. The trade was a 3.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 31,925 shares of company stock valued at $11,692,560. 0.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Woodward News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results and guidance: Woodward reported a material beat (EPS $2.17 vs. $1.65 expected) and ~28.8% revenue growth year‑over‑year, and set FY‑2026 guidance at $8.20–$8.60 — these fundamentals underpin recent analyst upgrades and justify a premium valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: Aerospace portfolio expansion: Woodward agreed to acquire Valve Research & Manufacturing (VRM), adding precision flow‑control valves to support next‑generation aircraft programs — a strategic bolt‑on that should expand addressable market and margin mix in Aerospace. Woodward Announces Deal to Acquire VRM
• Positive Sentiment: Capital return / dividend increase: Board authorized up to $1.8B in buybacks (~11.6% of shares) and raised the quarterly dividend (most recent payout $0.32), which supports EPS per‑share accretion and investor yield expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest eased: Short interest fell ~13.1% late February to ~655K shares (≈1.1% of float), reducing potential short‑pressure and the likelihood of a large short‑covering squeeze. No article link
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus: Street coverage is constructive (consensus “Moderate Buy” with mixed price targets); several firms raised targets after the beat, but some downgraded from “strong buy” to hold at higher absolute prices — implies upside but some valuation caution. Woodward Given Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership: Roughly 81% of shares are held by institutions — supportive for stable demand but can limit free‑float liquidity and amplify moves on large trades. No article link
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold multiple blocks in early March (reported sales of 5,000; 5,000; and 2,625 shares in separate filings), generating proceeds of several million dollars — markets often view clustered insider sales as a mild negative signal even if pre‑planned. SEC Filing: Insider Ownership Changes InsiderTrades: Blankenship Sells WWD

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of WWD opened at $385.91 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $23.01 billion, a PE ratio of 48.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.96. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $146.82 and a 52-week high of $403.31. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $358.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $298.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.05.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. The company had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $901.92 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.35 EPS. Woodward’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th were paid a $0.32 dividend. 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 19th. Woodward’s payout ratio is presently 16.12%.

Woodward announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 20th that permits the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the technology company to buy up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.