Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Hits New 1-Year High Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $378.00 and last traded at $374.4560, with a volume of 7184 shares. The stock had previously closed at $327.25.

The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.32% and a net margin of 12.89%.The firm had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.35 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be paid a $0.32 dividend. This is a boost from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.58%.

Woodward announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 20th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the technology company to buy up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

More 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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on WWD shares. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $408.00 target price on Woodward in a research report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Woodward from $350.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One research 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.com, Woodward currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $342.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total value of $888,990.00. Following the transaction, the director directly 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 sold a total of 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210 over the last quarter. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WWD. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Woodward during the 2nd quarter valued at $201,555,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership bought a new stake in Woodward during the third quarter valued at about $184,721,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Woodward by 122.0% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $228,849,000 after acquiring an additional 497,722 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Woodward by 1,086.9% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $83,524,000 after acquiring an additional 302,666 shares during the period. Finally, Findlay Park Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth about $73,406,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Woodward Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $313.77 and a 200-day moving average of $274.42. The company has a current ratio of 2.08, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a market cap of $22.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.00.

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.