Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. Buys 3,356 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Key Points

• Rockefeller Capital Management boosted its Woodward stake by 31.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 3,356 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 13,965 shares worth about $4.22 million.
• Woodward reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.27 beating estimates and revenue of $1.09 billion topping forecasts; revenue also rose 23.4% year over year.
• Analysts remain cautiously bullish on the stock, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $393, while insiders have recently sold shares, including a large sale by Director Daniel G. Korte.

Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 31.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,965 shares of the technology company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,356 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P.'s holdings in Woodward were worth $4,222,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,937,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Woodward by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,491,870 shares of the technology company's stock worth $451,093,000 after purchasing an additional 106,390 shares during the period. Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the fourth quarter worth $24,436,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Woodward by 487.6% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 18,663 shares of the technology company's stock worth $5,642,000 after buying an additional 15,487 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Woodward by 15.4% in the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 169,174 shares of the technology company's stock worth $51,145,000 after buying an additional 22,555 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company's stock.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $431.62 on Friday. 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 has a market cap of $25.72 billion, a PE ratio of 51.69, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.89. The company's fifty day moving average is $377.07 and its 200 day moving average is $360.23. Woodward, Inc. has a 52 week low of $233.31 and a 52 week high of $450.92.

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

Woodward Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. This represents a 76.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $65,675.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,295,040. The trade was a 4.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 15,629 shares of company stock valued at $5,570,005 over the last 90 days. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on WWD shares. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Woodward in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $440.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and set a $470.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward has an average 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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