Northcape Wealth Management LLC Makes New Investment in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Northcape Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund acquired 7,134 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,035,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Woodline Partners LP bought a new stake in Woodward during the 1st quarter valued at $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in shares of Woodward by 35.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $436,000 after acquiring an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 684.3% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $920,000 after acquiring an additional 4,400 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 7.0% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,030 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $988,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in shares of Woodward by 11.9% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $124,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. The trade was a 76.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total value of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,105,428.36. This represents a 40.97% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WWD. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, July 17th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Woodward currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $419.00.

Key Stories Impacting Woodward

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks increased its FY2026 EPS estimate to $9.46 from $9.18, FY2027 to $10.35 from $10.30, and FY2028 to $12.00 from $11.55. Estimates were also raised for Q4 2026, Q1 and Q2 2027, and Q1 and Q2 2028, signaling improved expectations for Woodward’s longer-term earnings growth. Woodward analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks kept a “Hold” rating on Woodward. The current full-year consensus EPS estimate remains $9.46, suggesting the estimate increases have not yet translated into a stronger overall analyst stance. Woodward analyst rating
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced its Q3 2027 EPS estimate to $2.77 from $2.82, its Q4 2027 estimate to $2.77 from $2.86, and its Q3 2028 estimate to $3.24 from $3.27. These quarterly cuts may be weighing on sentiment, particularly with the stock trading at a relatively elevated valuation of about 40 times earnings. Woodward revised quarterly estimates

Woodward Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $359.95 on Thursday. Woodward, Inc. has a 1 year low of $233.31 and a 1 year high of $450.92. The firm has a market cap of $21.26 billion, a PE ratio of 40.04, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $397.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $380.75.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.76 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.24%.

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.