California State Teachers Retirement System Buys 12,690 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Key Points

• California State Teachers Retirement System increased its Woodward stake by 22.3% in the first quarter, buying 12,690 shares to own 69,546 shares valued at approximately $24.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 81.18% of the company.
• Woodward reported fiscal third-quarter adjusted EPS of $2.52, beating estimates, while revenue rose 21.2% year over year to about $1.11 billion. Management raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.30–$9.50, though a narrower aerospace outlook pressured shares.
• Wall Street maintains a consensus “Buy” rating with an average price target of $393.83, but TD Cowen rates the stock “Hold” amid valuation concerns. The company also declared a $0.32 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 0.4% yield.

California State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 22.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 69,546 shares of the technology company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,690 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.12% of Woodward worth $24,892,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in Woodward by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,116 shares of the technology company's stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in Woodward by 5.4% in the first quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 758 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $271,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its position in Woodward by 1.5% in the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 3,327 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $841,000 after buying an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 1.2% during the third quarter. Quest Investment Management LLC now owns 4,313 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,090,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 13,417 shares of the technology company's stock worth $4,056,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Woodward News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Woodward reported fiscal Q3 adjusted earnings of $2.52 per share, exceeding the $2.39–$2.44 analyst range and rising 43.2% from the prior year. Revenue increased 21.2% to approximately $1.11 billion, supported by aerospace and industrial demand, pricing, and higher volume. WWD Q3 Earnings Beat on Aerospace and Industrial Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.30–$9.50, broadly consistent with the current analyst expectation of $9.34. The company also plans to reduce hiring needs by about 1,000 positions by 2029, which could support productivity and margins over time. Woodward raises 2026 adjusted EPS view
• Positive Sentiment: Growth-focused commentary highlights Woodward’s above-average financial growth, while a bullish technical setup—a hammer pattern after the recent decline—and upward earnings-estimate revisions suggest potential near-term support. Woodward is an Incredible Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen assigned Woodward a Hold rating, indicating that the strong operating results may already be reflected in the valuation and that investors may want additional evidence of sustained growth. Woodward Gets a Hold from TD Cowen
• Negative Sentiment: The stock initially declined despite the earnings beat because Woodward’s aerospace outlook narrowed. Investors appear concerned that this could constrain future growth, offsetting the benefits of the higher fiscal-year guidance. Woodward shares fall as aerospace outlook narrows

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $360.75 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.65. Woodward, Inc. has a 52 week low of $233.31 and a 52 week high of $450.92. The firm has a market cap of $21.49 billion, a PE ratio of 40.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.86. The firm's fifty day moving average is $395.61 and its 200-day moving average is $377.24.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 21.89% and a net margin of 13.17%.Woodward's quarterly revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The business 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward's payout ratio is 15.33%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. This represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $65,675.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,648 shares in the company, valued at $1,295,040. The trade was a 4.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 15,629 shares of company stock valued at $5,570,005. Insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and set a $470.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. UBS Group increased their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $393.83.

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.

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