Woodward, Inc. $WWD Shares Sold by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. reduced its position in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 58,086 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 3,393 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. owned approximately 0.10% of Woodward worth $14,679,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth about $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in Woodward by 1,766.7% during the 3rd 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 acquired a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new position in Woodward in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in Woodward by 627.3% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 160 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the period. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Woodward Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $392.38 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $333.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $284.06. 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 company has a market capitalization of $23.39 billion, a PE ratio of 49.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $901.92 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.35 EPS. Woodward’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. 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. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.11%.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WWD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group upped their price objective on Woodward from $378.00 to $417.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. TD Cowen upped their price target on Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased 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. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $354.80.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In related news, Director Eileen P. Paterson sold 5,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the director owned 2,538 shares in the company, valued at $959,744.70. This represents a 67.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $369.62, for a total transaction of $831,645.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at $7,974,551.50. The trade was a 9.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 47,450 shares of company stock worth $14,706,235 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

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.