Handelsbanken Fonder AB Purchases New Stake in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB opened a new position in Woodward during the fourth quarter, buying 23,069 shares valued at about $6.97 million.
• Woodward reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.27 versus $2.10 expected and revenue of $1.09 billion versus $1.01 billion expected. Revenue rose 23.4% year over year, and the company issued FY 2026 EPS guidance of 9.15 to 9.45.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, payable June 4, and analysts currently rate the stock Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of about $390.27.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 23,069 shares of the technology company's stock, valued at approximately $6,974,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp grew its position in Woodward by 3.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,388,758 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $603,663,000 after buying an additional 80,538 shares during the period. Earnest Partners LLC grew its position in Woodward by 0.6% during the third quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 1,403,551 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $354,691,000 after buying an additional 8,307 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Woodward by 122.0% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $228,849,000 after buying an additional 497,722 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Woodward by 2.2% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 887,938 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $224,391,000 after buying an additional 18,821 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its position in Woodward by 8.4% during the third quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 771,497 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $194,965,000 after buying an additional 59,693 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company's stock.

Woodward Price Performance

WWD opened at $351.36 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $20.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.08, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $369.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $340.71. Woodward, Inc. has a twelve month low of $204.10 and a twelve month 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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 20.12%. The company's revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.69 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st 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, May 21st. Woodward's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.33%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total value of $104,344.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,601,320.02. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total transaction of $711,084.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,095 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,189,625.15. This trade represents a 37.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 20,404 shares of company stock worth $7,741,205. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $440.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $390.27.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.