229,729 Shares in Woodward, Inc. $WWD Purchased by Man Group plc

Man Group plc acquired a new position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 229,729 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $97,736,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Woodward by 550.0% in the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 91 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Woodward during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in Woodward by 82.5% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Woodward during the second quarter valued at approximately $65,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In other news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total transaction of $767,163.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,105,428.36. This trade represents a 40.97% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WWD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $470.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, May 1st. Susquehanna started coverage on Woodward in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group raised 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. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. One 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Woodward currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $419.00.

Woodward Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $339.66 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $392.84 and its 200-day moving average is $380.53. Woodward, Inc. has a 1-year low of $233.31 and a 1-year high of $450.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The stock has a market cap of $20.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.88.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (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 last year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

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