Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. Sells 7,603 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. lowered its holdings in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 162,266 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 7,603 shares during the quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd.’s holdings in Woodward were worth $49,056,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in Woodward in the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its position in Woodward by 131.1% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 282 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new position in Woodward during the 4th quarter valued at about $101,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $65,675.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,648 shares in the company, valued at $1,295,040. This trade represents a 4.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 2,625 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.80, for a total transaction of $1,010,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,854 shares in the company, valued at $25,340,619.20. This trade represents a 3.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 20,404 shares of company stock valued at $7,741,205. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Stock Performance

WWD stock opened at $354.96 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market cap of $21.15 billion, a PE ratio of 42.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a 50 day moving average of $368.79 and a 200-day moving average of $343.91. Woodward, Inc. has a 12-month low of $213.46 and a 12-month high of $407.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.17. The business 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 business’s revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.69 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WWD has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $393.00.

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.