Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) shares reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $329.55 and last traded at $326.0450, with a volume of 39537 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $321.99.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on WWD shares. Truist Financial set a $366.00 target price on Woodward in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Melius Research upgraded Woodward to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Melius raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Woodward has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $305.56.

Woodward Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $293.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $265.86. The stock has a market cap of $19.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.08.

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

Woodward declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 20th that allows the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the technology company to repurchase up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total value of $2,105,320.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 9,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,890,303.60. The trade was a 42.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total value of $888,990.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 21,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,393,319.75. This represents 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 three months, insiders sold 40,000 shares of company stock valued at $11,908,210. 0.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in shares of Woodward by 35.6% during the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 25,688 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $6,300,000 after purchasing an additional 6,741 shares during the last quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Woodward in the second quarter worth approximately $246,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Woodward by 7.2% during the second quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 16,681 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $4,088,000 after acquiring an additional 1,121 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 213.4% during the second quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,236,000 after acquiring an additional 3,434 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 165,286 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $30,163,000 after acquiring an additional 1,146 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.