Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Truist Financial set a $366.00 target price on Woodward in a report on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Woodward from $329.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Melius Research upgraded shares of Woodward to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $309.22.

Woodward Trading Up 1.4%

WWD opened at $336.00 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.36. Woodward has a fifty-two week low of $146.82 and a fifty-two week high of $338.17. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $296.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $266.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.73, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.02.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 24th. The technology company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.26. Woodward had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 17.68%. The firm had revenue of $995.26 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $943.15 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.41 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.5% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In other news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the director owned 9,610 shares in the company, valued at $2,890,303.60. This trade represents a 42.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WWD. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its position in shares of Woodward by 1,766.7% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Kilter Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Woodward in the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Company 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.