Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Given Outperform Rating at Royal Bank Of Canada

Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated their outperform rating on shares of Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) in a research report report published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $450.00 price target on the technology company’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on WWD. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Susquehanna initiated coverage on Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $395.50.

Woodward Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of WWD stock opened at $419.76 on Monday. Woodward has a fifty-two week low of $233.31 and a fifty-two week high of $450.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.73. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $393.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $376.03. The company has a market cap of $25.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.27, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.86.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.69 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Woodward will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is 15.33%.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $65,675.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,295,040. The trade was a 4.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 15,629 shares of company stock valued at $5,570,005. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WWD. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Woodward by 550.0% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 91 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in Woodward by 82.5% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new stake in Woodward in the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the 4th quarter worth approximately $61,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.