Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Given New $445.00 Price Target at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) had its target price upped by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $430.00 to $445.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the technology company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a research report on Sunday. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Melius Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $354.80.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of WWD stock opened at $392.78 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $320.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $278.04. Woodward has a 52-week low of $146.82 and a 52-week high of $403.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $901.92 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.35 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Woodward Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 an increase from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Woodward news, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the business’s 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 completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were 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 owned 15,135 shares in the company, valued at $4,508,413.80. This represents a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 47,450 shares of company stock worth $14,706,235 over the last ninety days. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WWD. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Woodward in the third quarter worth $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Woodward by 1,766.7% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the period. Financial Perspectives Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Woodward in the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Company 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.