Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Invests $57.60 Million in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management acquired 135,387 Woodward shares worth approximately $57.6 million, giving it a 0.23% stake. Hedge funds and institutional investors collectively own 81.18% of the company.
• Woodward reported quarterly EPS of $2.52, beating estimates of $2.44, while revenue rose 21.2% year over year to $1.11 billion. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $9.30–$9.50.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $406.45, while Woodward declared a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, implying a 0.4% yield.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 135,387 shares of the technology company's stock, valued at approximately $57,599,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.23% of Woodward at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the 4th quarter worth $251,365,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 122.0% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company's stock worth $228,849,000 after buying an additional 497,722 shares during the period. Findlay Park Partners LLP boosted its holdings in Woodward by 136.2% during the fourth quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP now owns 686,200 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $207,452,000 after acquiring an additional 395,726 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 45.7% in the fourth quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 1,065,294 shares of the technology company's stock worth $322,060,000 after purchasing an additional 334,333 shares during the period. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in Woodward by 1,086.9% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $83,524,000 after purchasing an additional 302,666 shares during the period. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Performance

WWD stock opened at $362.89 on Friday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $396.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $378.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Woodward, Inc. has a 12-month low of $233.31 and a 12-month high of $450.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.43 billion, a PE ratio of 40.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.88.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.76 earnings per share. 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. As a group, research analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WWD shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and issued a $470.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen upped their target price on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $406.45.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,601,320.02. The trade was a 6.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible 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 shares were sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total value of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,098 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,105,428.36. This trade represents a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 17,779 shares of company stock valued at $6,337,168. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

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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