Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Upgraded by Wells Fargo & Company to Strong-Buy Rating

Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

WWD has been the topic of several other research reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Woodward presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $379.50.

Woodward Price Performance

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $375.87 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.34, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $369.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $311.07. Woodward has a 1 year low of $146.82 and a 1 year high of $403.31.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. The firm had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.07% and a net margin of 12.89%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.35 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Woodward will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th were issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 19th. This is a boost from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. 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 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 dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $369.62, for a total value of $831,645.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at $7,974,551.50. This represents a 9.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Eileen P. Paterson sold 5,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $378.15, for a total transaction of $1,966,380.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,538 shares in the company, valued at approximately $959,744.70. This trade represents a 67.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 26,925 shares of company stock worth $10,203,160. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its position in Woodward by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 1,586 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $401,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,221 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $308,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Woodward by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. now owns 1,553 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $392,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of Woodward by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,036 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $267,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 3.0% during the third quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,596 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $403,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% 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.