Principal Financial Group Inc. Purchases 4,106 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its stake in Woodward by 3.2% in the first quarter, buying 4,106 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 133,044 shares valued at about $47.6 million.
• Insider selling was notable, with EVP Karrie M. Bem and Director Daniel G. Korte selling shares recently; insiders have sold 15,629 shares worth about $5.57 million over the last 90 days.
• Woodward’s business performance remains solid: the company beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $395.50.

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 3.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 133,044 shares of the technology company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,106 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.22% of Woodward worth $47,619,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WWD. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Woodward by 35.2% during the first quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 2,726 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $999,000 after purchasing an additional 709 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Woodward in the first quarter valued at approximately $904,000. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI raised its holdings in Woodward by 33.6% in the 1st quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 1,114 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $399,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in Woodward by 87.5% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 31,046 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $11,112,000 after buying an additional 14,484 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ibex Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in Woodward during the 1st quarter worth approximately $9,414,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,434 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,578,725.70. The trade was a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on WWD. Susquehanna began coverage on shares of Woodward in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a "positive" rating and a $423.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an "overweight" rating and a $440.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $395.50.

Woodward Stock Performance

WWD stock opened at $392.88 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $387.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $371.45. Woodward, Inc. has a 1-year low of $233.31 and a 1-year high of $450.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market cap of $23.41 billion, a PE ratio of 47.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.86.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.17. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The company had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.69 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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 research analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward's dividend payout ratio is presently 15.33%.

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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