South Dakota Investment Council Takes Position in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

South Dakota Investment Council bought a new position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 2,066 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $739,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in Woodward by 82.5% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Woodward during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at $44,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter valued at about $61,000. Finally, Hollencrest Capital Management increased its position in shares of Woodward by 1,800.0% during the first quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 209 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WWD has been the topic of several recent research reports. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Susquehanna assumed coverage on Woodward in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, UBS Group upped 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. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $393.83.

Woodward News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Woodward reported fiscal Q3 adjusted earnings of $2.52 per share, exceeding the $2.39–$2.44 analyst range and rising 43.2% from the prior year. Revenue increased 21.2% to approximately $1.11 billion, supported by aerospace and industrial demand, pricing, and higher volume. WWD Q3 Earnings Beat on Aerospace and Industrial Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.30–$9.50, broadly consistent with the current analyst expectation of $9.34. The company also plans to reduce hiring needs by about 1,000 positions by 2029, which could support productivity and margins over time. Woodward raises 2026 adjusted EPS view
• Positive Sentiment: Growth-focused commentary highlights Woodward’s above-average financial growth, while a bullish technical setup—a hammer pattern after the recent decline—and upward earnings-estimate revisions suggest potential near-term support. Woodward is an Incredible Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen assigned Woodward a Hold rating, indicating that the strong operating results may already be reflected in the valuation and that investors may want additional evidence of sustained growth. Woodward Gets a Hold from TD Cowen
• Negative Sentiment: The stock initially declined despite the earnings beat because Woodward’s aerospace outlook narrowed. Investors appear concerned that this could constrain future growth, offsetting the benefits of the higher fiscal-year guidance. Woodward shares fall as aerospace outlook narrows

Woodward Stock Up 1.3%

Woodward stock opened at $360.75 on Friday. Woodward, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $233.31 and a fifty-two week high of $450.92. The stock has a market cap of $21.49 billion, a PE ratio of 40.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.86. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $395.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $377.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.65.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.76 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Research analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $65,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,295,040. This represents a 4.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005 over the last quarter. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.