Voya Investment Management LLC Has $1.92 Million Stock Position in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Voya Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 20.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,580 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 1,935 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Woodward were worth $1,916,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in Woodward during the second quarter worth $39,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in shares of Woodward by 32.5% during the 2nd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 220 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 2,218.2% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 255 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 11.9% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $124,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Woodward in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $135,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Down 0.8%

WWD stock opened at $311.38 on Monday. Woodward, Inc. has a twelve month low of $146.82 and a twelve month high of $317.56. The company has a market cap of $18.68 billion, a PE ratio of 43.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.02. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $280.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $259.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 24th. The technology company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.26. Woodward had a return on equity of 17.68% and a net margin of 12.39%.The firm had revenue of $995.26 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $943.15 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.41 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.5% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 20th that allows the company to buyback $1.80 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the technology company to buy up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on WWD shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $350.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a report on Monday, December 1st. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Woodward from $329.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Woodward from $294.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Woodward currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $298.78.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total value of $1,489,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,508,413.80. This represents a 24.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total transaction of $888,990.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 21,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,393,319.75. The trade was a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210. 0.71% of the stock is 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.