Woodward, Inc. $WWD Stock Position Lifted by California State Teachers Retirement System

Key Points

• California State Teachers Retirement System dramatically increased its Woodward stake by adding nearly 29.4 million shares in the second quarter, bringing its ownership to approximately 49.87% of the company. Institutional investors collectively own 81.18% of WWD.
• Woodward reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $2.52 per share, beating estimates by $0.08, while revenue rose 21.2% year over year to $1.11 billion. The company provided fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $9.30 to $9.50.
• Shares opened at $339.27, below the analyst consensus price target of $419.00. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus, while Woodward pays a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, yielding about 0.4%.

California State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) by 42,244.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 29,448,531 shares of the technology company's stock after buying an additional 29,378,985 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System owned about 49.87% of Woodward worth $12,528,583,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of WWD. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in Woodward during the first quarter worth $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in shares of Woodward by 35.5% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company's stock worth $436,000 after acquiring an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Woodward by 684.3% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company's stock worth $920,000 after acquiring an additional 4,400 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Woodward by 7.0% during the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Woodward by 11.9% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $124,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $339.27 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $20.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.74, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.87. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $375.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $377.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Woodward, Inc. has a twelve month low of $233.31 and a twelve month high of $450.92.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a return on equity of 21.89% and a net margin of 13.17%.The company had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.76 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Research analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.24%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on WWD. Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Susquehanna started coverage on Woodward in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a "positive" rating and a $423.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Woodward currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $419.00.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In related news, EVP Shawn McLevige sold 2,150 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total value of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,105,428.36. This trade represents a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Woodward Company 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.

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