Key Points
- Director sale: Eileen Paterson sold 5,200 shares on Feb. 5 at an average price of $378.15 for total proceeds of $1,966,380, cutting her stake by 67.2% to 2,538 shares (≈$959,745).
- Earnings beat and guidance: Woodward reported Q EPS of $2.17 vs. $1.65 expected and revenue of $996.45M (up 28.8% YoY), and set FY2026 guidance of $8.20–$8.60 EPS.
- Capital returns and analyst support: The board authorized a $1.8 billion buyback (up to 11.6% of shares) and raised the quarterly dividend to $0.32 ($1.28 annualized), while several analysts raised price targets and maintain a buy-leaning consensus.
Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) Director Eileen Paterson sold 5,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $378.15, for a total transaction of $1,966,380.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,538 shares in the company, valued at $959,744.70. The trade was a 67.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.
Woodward Stock Up 1.1%
WWD stock opened at $392.78 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $320.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $278.04. 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 $23.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.47, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.00. Woodward, Inc. has a one year low of $146.82 and a one year high of $403.31.
Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. The business had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $901.92 million. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.07% and a net margin of 12.89%.The business's revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.35 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.
Woodward declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 20th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the technology company to repurchase up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
Woodward Increases Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is an increase from Woodward's previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.11%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
WWD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Melius Research raised Woodward from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday. One equities 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, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $354.80.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Woodward
Institutional Trading of Woodward
A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its position in Woodward by 2.6% in the third quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,586 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $401,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 3.5% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,221 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $308,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Woodward by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. now owns 1,553 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $392,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in Woodward by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,036 shares of the technology company's stock worth $267,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Woodward by 1.7% in the 2nd 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. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Woodward
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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