Woodward, Inc. $WWD Shares Sold by Hsbc Holdings PLC

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC cut its Woodward stake by 26.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 3,618 shares and leaving it with 10,060 shares valued at about $3.0 million.
• Institutional interest in Woodward remains strong, with several firms adding to positions and 81.18% of the stock now owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
• Woodward reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting $2.27 EPS and $1.09 billion in revenue, and the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share.

Hsbc Holdings PLC lowered its position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 26.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,060 shares of the technology company's stock after selling 3,618 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC's holdings in Woodward were worth $3,043,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Woodward during the 4th quarter valued at $251,365,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in Woodward by 122.0% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company's stock worth $228,849,000 after buying an additional 497,722 shares during the period. Findlay Park Partners LLP lifted its holdings in Woodward by 136.2% in the 4th quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP now owns 686,200 shares of the technology company's stock worth $207,452,000 after buying an additional 395,726 shares in the last quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Woodward by 45.7% in the 4th quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 1,065,294 shares of the technology company's stock worth $322,060,000 after buying an additional 334,333 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its position in Woodward by 1,086.9% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $83,524,000 after buying an additional 302,666 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the company'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 transaction of $65,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,648 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,295,040. This represents a 4.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the sale, the director owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. The trade was a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on WWD shares. UBS Group lifted their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Woodward in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $450.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Susquehanna started coverage on Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a "positive" rating and a $423.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $393.00.

Woodward Stock Performance

Woodward stock opened at $431.62 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $25.72 billion, a PE ratio of 51.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $377.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $360.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.19. Woodward, Inc. has a 12 month low of $233.31 and a 12 month high of $450.92.

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

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given 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 of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward's dividend payout ratio is currently 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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