VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Makes New Investment in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund acquired 17,473 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,434,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Accel Wealth Management lifted its position in Woodward by 3.2% in the second quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 963 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $410,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Woodward by 1.5% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,059 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $737,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in Woodward by 3.1% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,116 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $399,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in Woodward by 5.4% in the 1st quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 758 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $271,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Woodward by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 3,327 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $841,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In related news, EVP Shawn McLevige sold 2,150 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total transaction of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,105,428.36. This trade represents a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Stock Down 2.0%

WWD stock opened at $339.27 on Wednesday. Woodward, Inc. has a 12-month low of $233.31 and a 12-month high of $450.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The company has a market cap of $20.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.74, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a 50 day moving average of $375.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $377.45.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.76 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th were issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.24%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $419.00.

Woodward 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.