First Trust Advisors LP Sells 8,947 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

First Trust Advisors LP reduced its holdings in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 1.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 529,213 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 8,947 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Woodward were worth $189,416,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Woodward in the fourth quarter worth about $251,365,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Woodward by 122.0% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $228,849,000 after purchasing an additional 497,722 shares in the last quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP boosted its holdings in Woodward by 136.2% during the fourth quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP now owns 686,200 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $207,452,000 after purchasing an additional 395,726 shares in the last quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 45.7% in the 4th quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 1,065,294 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $322,060,000 after purchasing an additional 334,333 shares during the period. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 1,086.9% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $83,524,000 after purchasing an additional 302,666 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In related news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. This represents a 76.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $65,675.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,295,040. This trade represents a 4.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group raised their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $395.50.

Woodward Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $404.59 on Thursday. Woodward, Inc. has a 1 year low of $233.31 and a 1 year high of $450.92. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $389.79 and a 200-day moving average of $373.97. 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 has a market capitalization of $24.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.86.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.Woodward’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.69 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s payout ratio is currently 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.