Truist Financial Issues Positive Forecast for Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Stock Price

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) had its price target upped by Truist Financial from $366.00 to $404.00 in a research note released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the technology company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Melius Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Woodward from $350.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Woodward from $329.00 to $362.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $342.80.

Woodward Stock Performance

WWD stock opened at $371.17 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $313.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $274.42. The company has a market capitalization of $22.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.75, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Woodward has a fifty-two week low of $146.82 and a fifty-two week high of $384.66.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. The firm had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $901.92 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.32%. Woodward’s quarterly revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.35 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward announced that its board has approved a share 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 purchase up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This is a boost from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.58%.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total value of $1,489,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,508,413.80. This represents a 24.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total transaction of $888,990.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,393,319.75. The trade was a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210 over the last 90 days. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its stake 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 worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Key Woodward News

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and raised guidance — Woodward reported Q1 FY2026 EPS of $2.17 and revenue of $996.5M (≈+29% y/y), topping estimates; management raised FY26 EPS guidance to $8.20–$8.60 and lifted revenue targets, underpinning the rally. GlobeNewswire: Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike — Board raised the quarterly cash dividend 14% to $0.32/share, signaling confidence in cash flow and returning capital to shareholders. GlobeNewswire: Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/price target raises — UBS raised its WWD target to $417 (buy) and Truist to $404 (buy), reflecting confidence in upside from stronger demand and margin momentum; these notes likely attracted additional buying interest. The Fly: UBS PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion and segment strength — Company commentary and coverage highlight Aerospace Services and Industrial growth driving gross‑ and operating‑margin expansion, improving profitability outlook. Yahoo Finance: Deep Dive
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials and call transcripts available — Multiple transcripts and the slide deck were published (useful for investors wanting detail on backlog, mix and FCF cadence). Conference Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholder governance items approved — At the annual meeting shareholders approved director compensation and governance changes; routine but removes a potential near‑term governance overhang. TipRanks: Shareholder Meeting
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling noted — Recent summaries highlight insider share sales (several executives sold shares), which some investors view as a cautionary sign even amid strong results. Quiver Quant: Insider Activity

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.