Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Price Target Raised to $417.00 at UBS Group

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) had its target price lifted by UBS Group from $378.00 to $417.00 in a report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the technology company’s stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One 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. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $342.80.

Woodward Stock Up 13.4%

Shares of NASDAQ WWD opened at $371.17 on Tuesday. Woodward has a 52-week low of $146.82 and a 52-week high of $384.66. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $313.77 and a 200-day moving average of $274.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.27 billion, a PE ratio of 46.75, a P/E/G 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 (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.32% and a net margin of 12.89%.The business had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $901.92 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.35 EPS. The business’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. On average, analysts anticipate that Woodward will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Woodward declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 20th that permits the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits 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.

Woodward Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In related news, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total value 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the firm’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 sale, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 40,000 shares of company stock valued at $11,908,210 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Woodward in the second quarter valued at $201,555,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership acquired a new position in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth $184,721,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Woodward by 122.0% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $228,849,000 after purchasing an additional 497,722 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 1,086.9% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $83,524,000 after purchasing an additional 302,666 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Findlay Park Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth about $73,406,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward News Roundup

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

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.