Newport Trust Company LLC Sells 78,030 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Key Points

• Newport Trust Company LLC reduced its Woodward stake by 3.8% in Q4, selling 78,030 shares and still holding 2,002,182 shares worth about $605.3 million.
• Woodward’s latest quarter beat expectations, with EPS of $2.27 versus the $2.10 estimate and revenue of $1.09 billion versus $1.01 billion expected, while revenue rose 23.4% year over year.
• Analysts remain constructive overall, with several target price increases and a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy,” though Zacks recently kept its rating at Hold despite lifting earnings estimates through FY2028.

Newport Trust Company LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 3.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,002,182 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 78,030 shares during the quarter. Woodward accounts for about 1.4% of Newport Trust Company LLC's holdings, making the stock its 13th largest position. Newport Trust Company LLC owned about 3.34% of Woodward worth $605,300,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 131.1% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 282 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 36.1% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 347 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Woodward News

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple earnings estimates for Woodward, including FY2026, FY2027, and several quarterly periods through FY2028, signaling improved profit expectations and a stronger long-term earnings outlook for the aerospace and industrial supplier.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm’s FY2028 EPS estimate was increased to $11.55 from $10.95, reinforcing the view that Woodward can continue growing earnings at a healthy pace.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the higher forecasts, Zacks Research kept its rating at “Hold,” which suggests the analyst upgrade in estimates was not accompanied by a more bullish stock recommendation.
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Karrie Bem sold 185 shares in a recent insider transaction, adding a small overhang to sentiment as investors often watch executive selling for signs of reduced confidence. SEC filing

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The stock was 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 represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.40, for a total value of $1,837,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 65,854 shares of the company's stock, valued at $24,194,759.60. The trade was a 7.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 20,219 shares of company stock worth $7,675,530. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WWD opened at $355.76 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 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 stock's 50-day simple moving average is $370.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $340.64. Woodward, Inc. has a twelve month low of $204.03 and a twelve month high of $407.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The business 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 company earned $1.69 EPS. The company'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. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

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 issued 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 is presently 15.33%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on WWD shares. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, April 20th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. UBS Group upped their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company 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.