Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Purchases Shares of 730,961 Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership purchased a new position in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 730,961 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $184,721,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership owned 1.22% of Woodward at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in Woodward by 1,766.7% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. Financial Perspectives Inc purchased a new position in shares of Woodward in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the second quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in shares of Woodward by 627.3% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 160 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Down 1.5%

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $387.74 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $23.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.00. Woodward, Inc. has a twelve month low of $146.82 and a twelve month high of $403.31. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $344.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $289.66.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. The firm had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $901.92 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.35 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS 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 shares. This repurchase authorization allows the technology company to repurchase up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is a boost from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is 16.12%.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $369.62, for a total value of $831,645.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,974,551.50. This represents a 9.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 15,135 shares in the company, valued at $4,508,413.80. The trade was a 24.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 39,450 shares of company stock worth $12,335,945. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WWD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Melius Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. 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. According to MarketBeat, Woodward has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $354.80.

Woodward 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.