Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $385.42, but opened at $358.01. Woodward shares last traded at $352.1730, with a volume of 242,477 shares trading hands.

More Woodward News

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. TD Cowen lifted 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. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Susquehanna assumed coverage on Woodward in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $393.83.

Woodward Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $395.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $377.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The company has a market cap of $21.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.86.

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

Woodward Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,601,320.02. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the sale, the director owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,578,725.70. This represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,629 shares of company stock valued at $5,570,005. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,388,758 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $603,663,000 after buying an additional 80,538 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,491,870 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $451,093,000 after acquiring an additional 106,390 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership boosted its position in shares of Woodward by 45.7% during 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 acquiring an additional 334,333 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Woodward by 8.5% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 982,448 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $297,014,000 after acquiring an additional 76,870 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in Woodward by 12.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 904,404 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $323,705,000 after acquiring an additional 100,465 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Company 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.