Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Price Target Raised to $445.00

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) had its price target hoisted by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $430.00 to $445.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the technology company’s stock.

WWD has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. UBS Group upped their price target on Woodward from $378.00 to $417.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Melius Research upgraded Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $354.80.

Woodward Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ WWD opened at $389.61 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $23.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.05. Woodward has a 1 year low of $146.82 and a 1 year high of $403.31. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $324.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $279.76.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. The business had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $901.92 million. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.07% and a net margin of 12.89%.The business’s revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.35 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, November 20th that allows the company to buyback $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the technology company to purchase up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. This is an increase from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.11%.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In related news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total value of $2,105,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 9,610 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,303.60. This trade represents a 42.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total value of $888,990.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at $6,393,319.75. This trade represents a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 47,450 shares of company stock valued at $14,706,235. 0.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 1,766.7% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the fourth quarter worth approximately $44,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.