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

Key Points

• Man Group plc acquired 229,729 Woodward shares worth approximately $97.7 million, giving it a 0.39% stake; institutional investors collectively own 81.18% of the company.
• Woodward exceeded quarterly earnings expectations with EPS of $2.52 versus the $2.44 consensus, while revenue rose 21.2% year over year to $1.11 billion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $419.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, equating to an annualized $1.28 payout and a 0.4% yield. Two insiders recently sold shares, and insiders own 0.71% of the stock.

Man Group plc purchased a new stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 229,729 shares of the technology company's stock, valued at approximately $97,736,000. Man Group plc owned 0.39% of Woodward at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in Woodward during the second quarter worth $28,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Woodward by 550.0% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 91 shares of the technology company's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Woodward by 82.5% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the technology company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 4th quarter worth about $61,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on WWD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Susquehanna initiated coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a "positive" rating and a $423.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and set a $470.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research downgraded Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their target price on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Woodward presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $419.00.

Woodward Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $339.66 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.65. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $392.84 and a 200-day moving average of $380.53. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $233.31 and a 52-week high of $450.92. The stock has a market cap of $20.06 billion, a PE ratio of 37.78, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.88.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last released 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. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The business had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.76 earnings per share. Woodward's revenue for the quarter was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward's dividend payout ratio is presently 14.24%.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the transaction, the director directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total transaction of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,098 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,105,428.36. The trade was a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

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