Woodward, Inc. $WWD Shares Acquired by Geode Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Geode Capital Management boosted its Woodward stake by 7.7% in the fourth quarter, ending with 1.49 million shares valued at about $451.1 million. Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and institutions holding 81.18% of the stock.
• Woodward reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.27 versus estimates of $2.10 and revenue of $1.09 billion versus expectations of $1.01 billion. Revenue rose 23.4% year over year, and the company issued FY2026 EPS guidance of 9.150–9.450.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, payable June 4, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $393. Meanwhile, several insiders sold shares during the quarter, including the CEO and an EVP.

Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 7.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,491,870 shares of the technology company's stock after acquiring an additional 106,390 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.50% of Woodward worth $451,093,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of WWD. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward in the first quarter valued at $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 35.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $436,000 after acquiring an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 684.3% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $920,000 after acquiring an additional 4,400 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 7.0% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,030 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $988,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in Woodward by 11.9% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $124,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Woodward Stock Performance

Shares of WWD stock opened at $350.03 on Monday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $368.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $344.46. The firm has a market cap of $20.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.92, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.89. Woodward, Inc. has a 1 year low of $213.46 and a 1 year high of $407.00. 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 (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 last year, the company posted $1.69 earnings per share. The business'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. Analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the firm'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 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,194,759.60. This represents a 7.06% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 20,404 shares of company stock valued at $7,741,205 over the last quarter. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on WWD. Susquehanna began coverage on Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a "positive" rating and a $423.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $470.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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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