Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. Sells 7,603 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Key Points

• Jupiter Asset Management trimmed its Woodward position by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 7,603 shares and ending with 162,266 shares worth about $49.1 million.
• Woodward reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.27 versus $2.10 expected and revenue of $1.09 billion versus $1.01 billion estimated, with revenue up 23.4% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $393, while the stock recently traded at $354.96 and the company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share.

Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. reduced its position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 4.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 162,266 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 7,603 shares during the period. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. owned approximately 0.27% of Woodward worth $49,056,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth $2,937,000. AlphaQuest LLC grew its position in Woodward by 300.8% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 6,766 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,710,000 after acquiring an additional 5,078 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH bought a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth $12,300,000. Syntax Research Inc. bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,011,000. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $878,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna started coverage on shares of Woodward in a report on Tuesday. They set a "positive" rating and a $423.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Zacks Research cut shares of Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $393.00.

Woodward Stock Down 0.9%

Woodward stock opened at $354.96 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.73. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $213.46 and a 52-week high of $407.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $368.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $343.91. The firm has a market cap of $21.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.51, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.92.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.69 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.33%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total transaction of $711,084.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,095 shares in the company, valued at $1,189,625.15. This represents a 37.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total value of $104,344.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,297 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,601,320.02. This represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 20,404 shares of company stock valued at $7,741,205 in the last ninety days. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WWD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report).

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.