North Dakota State Investment Board Makes New $632,000 Investment in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 2,089 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $632,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Woodward during the third quarter worth about $2,937,000. AlphaQuest LLC raised its stake in Woodward by 300.8% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 6,766 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,710,000 after acquiring an additional 5,078 shares in the last quarter. Syntax Research Inc. acquired a new position in Woodward during the third quarter worth about $1,011,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH acquired a new position in Woodward during the third quarter worth about $12,300,000. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in Woodward during the third quarter worth about $878,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Woodward

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple earnings estimates for Woodward, including FY2026, FY2027, and several quarterly periods through FY2028, signaling improved profit expectations and a stronger long-term earnings outlook for the aerospace and industrial supplier.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm’s FY2028 EPS estimate was increased to $11.55 from $10.95, reinforcing the view that Woodward can continue growing earnings at a healthy pace.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the higher forecasts, Zacks Research kept its rating at “Hold,” which suggests the analyst upgrade in estimates was not accompanied by a more bullish stock recommendation.
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Karrie Bem sold 185 shares in a recent insider transaction, adding a small overhang to sentiment as investors often watch executive selling for signs of reduced confidence. SEC filing

Insider Activity at Woodward

In related news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.48, for a total value of $65,208.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,833 shares in the company, valued at $1,351,055.84. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total value of $711,084.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,095 shares in the company, valued at $1,189,625.15. The trade was a 37.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 20,219 shares of company stock worth $7,675,530 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on WWD shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research cut Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group boosted their price target on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a report on Sunday, February 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $390.27.

Woodward Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $355.76 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $21.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.92. 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 stock’s 50-day moving average is $370.04 and its 200-day moving average is $340.64. Woodward, Inc. has a 1-year low of $204.03 and a 1-year high of $407.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 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%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.69 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

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

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.