Woodward, Inc. $WWD Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 22.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,058 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 1,500 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Woodward were worth $1,529,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth about $184,721,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Woodward by 122.0% during 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 period. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its position in Woodward by 1,086.9% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $83,524,000 after purchasing an additional 302,666 shares during the period. Findlay Park Partners LLP acquired a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth about $73,406,000. Finally, Kinetic Partners Management LP acquired a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth about $56,556,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on WWD shares. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $385.91.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In related news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total value of $711,084.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,189,625.15. This trade represents a 37.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Eileen P. Paterson sold 5,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $378.15, for a total transaction of $1,966,380.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,538 shares in the company, valued at $959,744.70. This represents a 67.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 26,925 shares of company stock valued at $10,203,160. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Woodward Price Performance

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $394.83 on Friday. Woodward, Inc. has a 52 week low of $162.85 and a 52 week high of $407.00. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $23.54 billion, a PE ratio of 49.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $379.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $323.20.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.07% and a net margin of 12.89%.The firm had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $901.92 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.35 EPS. 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

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

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.