Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $38.98 Million Position in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 3.2% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 128,938 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 4,229 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Woodward were worth $38,981,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Balentine LLC lifted its position in shares of Woodward by 157.1% during the 4th quarter. Balentine LLC now owns 2,846 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $860,000 after acquiring an additional 1,739 shares during the period. Strs Ohio raised its holdings in Woodward by 346.8% during the fourth quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 6,335 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,915,000 after buying an additional 4,917 shares during the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC acquired a new position in Woodward during the fourth quarter worth $218,000. Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in Woodward during the fourth quarter worth $171,000. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI acquired a new position in Woodward during the fourth quarter worth $252,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on WWD. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Woodward in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $390.27.

Woodward Stock Performance

Shares of WWD stock opened at $369.93 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $375.51 and a 200-day moving average of $333.66. The company has a market cap of $22.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.19. Woodward, Inc. has a one year low of $193.74 and a one year high of $407.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 20.12%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.69 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.33%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total transaction of $711,084.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,189,625.15. This represents a 37.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.40, for a total transaction of $1,837,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 65,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,194,759.60. The trade was a 7.06% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 19,475 shares of company stock valued at $7,405,135. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.