Natixis Advisors LLC Buys 22,555 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 15.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 169,174 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 22,555 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned 0.28% of Woodward worth $51,145,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in Woodward by 131.1% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 282 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $85,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Woodward by 36.1% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 347 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Woodward by 107.6% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 411 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $101,000 after buying an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Performance

WWD opened at $350.03 on Thursday. Woodward, Inc. has a 12-month low of $227.00 and a 12-month high of $407.00. The company’s 50 day moving average is $367.41 and its 200 day moving average is $346.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a market cap of $20.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.92, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.89.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. The company 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%.Woodward’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.69 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WWD. Susquehanna started coverage on Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Woodward in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Woodward currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $393.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 2,625 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.80, for a total transaction of $1,010,100.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 65,854 shares in the company, valued at $25,340,619.20. This trade represents a 3.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction 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 approximately $1,295,040. This represents a 4.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 8,554 shares of company stock valued at $3,183,170. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

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.