BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Invests $1.36 Million in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S bought a new stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 5,360 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,355,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AlphaQuest LLC raised its position in Woodward by 300.8% in the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 6,766 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,710,000 after purchasing an additional 5,078 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 35.6% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 25,688 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $6,300,000 after purchasing an additional 6,741 shares during the period. Syntax Research Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,011,000. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,079,000. Finally, Anchor Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $246,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Up 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $388.50 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market cap of $23.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.00. Woodward, Inc. has a 12 month low of $146.82 and a 12 month high of $392.66. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $318.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $277.07.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $901.92 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. Woodward’s quarterly revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.35 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 an increase 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 dividend yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s payout ratio is 14.11%.

Woodward announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 20th that allows the company to buyback $1.80 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the technology company to reacquire up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on WWD. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Melius Research raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $350.30.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other Woodward news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total transaction of $1,489,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 15,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,508,413.80. The trade was a 24.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $369.62, for a total transaction of $831,645.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at $7,974,551.50. This trade represents a 9.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 42,250 shares of company stock worth $12,739,855 over the last 90 days. 0.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.