75,489 Woodward, Inc. $WWD Shares Sold by Cooke & Bieler LP

Key Points

• Cooke & Bieler LP reduced its Woodward stake by 23.8%, selling 75,489 shares during the third quarter. The firm still held 241,568 shares worth approximately $79.4 million, while institutional investors and hedge funds owned 81.18% of the stock.
• Woodward reported quarterly revenue of $1.11 billion and adjusted earnings of $2.52 per share, exceeding analysts’ $2.44 estimate. Revenue increased 21.2% year over year, and the company set fiscal 2026 EPS guidance at $9.30–$9.50.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, equivalent to $1.28 annually and a 0.4% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $418.36, despite several recent target cuts and downgrades to “Hold.”

Cooke & Bieler LP cut its stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 23.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 241,568 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 75,489 shares during the quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP owned about 0.41% of Woodward worth $79,377,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WWD. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Woodward during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Woodward during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Woodward by 550.0% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 91 shares of the technology company's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the third quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $325.15 on Thursday. Woodward, Inc. has a 12-month low of $247.11 and a 12-month high of $450.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The company has a market cap of $19.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.86. The company's fifty day moving average is $335.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $367.20.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a return on equity of 21.89% and a net margin of 13.17%. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company 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 analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.24%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on WWD shares. Guggenheim started coverage on Woodward in a report on Monday, September 14th. They set a "buy" rating and a $404.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Woodward from $440.00 to $430.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on Woodward from $420.00 to $380.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Melius Research cut shares of Woodward from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $388.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Monday, September 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Woodward currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $418.36.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other Woodward news, EVP Shawn McLevige sold 2,150 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 3,098 shares in the company, valued at $1,105,428.36. This trade represents a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Woodward Profile

Woodward, Inc is an independent designer, manufacturer and service provider of control systems and components for the aerospace and industrial markets. The company develops technologies that help manage the flow of fuel, air, and other fluids, as well as mechanical and electrical energy, in engines and other power-generation systems.

Its aerospace products include fuel pumps and metering systems, engine controls, actuators, air valves, and electric power-management systems for commercial aircraft, business aviation, military aircraft, helicopters, and space applications.

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