Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Sells 3,523 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Key Points

• Daiwa Securities Group cut its Woodward stake by 8.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 3,523 shares and ending with 36,819 shares worth about $11.1 million.
• Insider selling continued, with CEO Charles P. Blankenship and EVP Karrie M. Bem both selling shares; insiders sold 8,554 shares total last quarter worth $3.18 million.
• Woodward reported strong results, beating quarterly EPS and revenue estimates, and the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lowered its position in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 8.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 36,819 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 3,523 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Woodward worth $11,131,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Woodward in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at $44,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in Woodward by 131.1% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 282 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at $101,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Woodward by 36.1% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 347 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $88,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other Woodward news, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 2,625 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.80, for a total value of $1,010,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 65,854 shares in the company, valued at $25,340,619.20. The trade was a 3.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $65,675.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,648 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,295,040. This trade represents a 4.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 8,554 shares of company stock valued at $3,183,170 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Woodward Stock Performance

NASDAQ WWD opened at $357.74 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $366.95 and a 200-day moving average of $346.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.73. The stock has a market cap of $21.31 billion, a PE ratio of 42.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.89. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $227.00 and a 52-week high of $407.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. Woodward had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 20.12%. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.69 EPS. Woodward's quarterly revenue was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Woodward's payout ratio is 15.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on WWD. Susquehanna began coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a "positive" rating and a $423.00 price target for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $470.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $440.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $393.00.

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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