Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday. The company provided EPS guidance of 8.200-8.600 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 7.970. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.1 billion-$4.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.0 billion.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WWD has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Woodward from $378.00 to $417.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Woodward from $350.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Woodward has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $342.80.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $371.17 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $22.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.75, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $313.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $274.42. 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 has a twelve month low of $146.82 and a twelve month high of $384.66.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. The firm had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.32%. The business’s revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.35 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Research analysts predict that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This is an increase from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.58%.

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.

Insider Activity

In other Woodward news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total transaction of $1,489,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 15,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the company’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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,393,319.75. The trade was a 12.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Woodward

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and raised guidance — Woodward reported revenue of $996.5M (+~29% YoY) and EPS $2.17 vs. consensus ~$1.65; management raised FY2026 EPS guidance to $8.20–8.60 and revenue guidance to ~$4.1–4.2B, supporting the rally. Woodward Reports Strong First Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/target hikes — UBS raised its price target to $417 and Truist to $404 (both reiterating buy ratings), which likely amplified buying after the beat. UBS price target raise Truist price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: End-market strength and margin expansion — Company commentary and subsequent write-ups highlight strong Aerospace services and Industrial growth that expanded gross and operating margins in the quarter. WWD Q4 Deep Dive
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike — Woodward raised the quarterly dividend to $0.32 (up 14.3%), a sign of cash-flow confidence that can support investor sentiment. Dividend Hike Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Shareholder governance items approved — At the Jan. 28 annual meeting, stockholders approved director elections, compensation and governance changes; routine but removes a potential overhang. Shareholder Approvals
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and transcripts available — Management and analysts discussed drivers (Aerospace services, Industrial orders, cash flow and capex) on the call; read the transcript/slides for detail on durability of demand. Earnings Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling noted — Recent disclosures show insiders have sold shares (multiple executive sales cited), which some investors view as a mild caution flag on near-term sentiment. QuiverQuant insider trading summary
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation questions — Coverage after the beat highlights higher valuation multiples and asks whether the new guidance fully justifies the premium, a consideration for longer-term buyers. Valuation Article

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Woodward by 122.0% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $228,849,000 after purchasing an additional 497,722 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its stake in Woodward by 1,086.9% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $83,524,000 after buying an additional 302,666 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Woodward by 52.0% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 499,221 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $124,186,000 after buying an additional 170,826 shares during the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,191,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,453,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

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.