Insider Selling: Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) EVP Sells 279 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Woodward EVP Karrie Bem sold 279 shares on May 15 at an average price of $361.44, totaling about $100,842 and reducing her ownership by 6.49%.
• The company recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $2.27 versus $2.10 expected and revenue of $1.09 billion versus $1.01 billion expected, with revenue up 23.4% year over year.
• Woodward also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.32 per share, payable June 4, implying an annualized dividend of $1.28 and a yield of 0.4%.

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) EVP Karrie Bem sold 279 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.44, for a total value of $100,841.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,018 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,452,265.92. This trade represents a 6.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Woodward Stock Performance

Woodward stock traded up $1.79 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $351.00. 200,706 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 684,488. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.91 billion, a PE ratio of 42.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.92. 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 $204.03 and a 12-month high of $407.00. The business's 50-day moving average is $372.53 and its 200-day moving average is $338.18.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.Woodward's revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.69 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Woodward by 3.1% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,116 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $399,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 5.4% during the first quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 758 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $271,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 2.8% during the third quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. now owns 1,553 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $392,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 4.2% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,036 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $267,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 3.0% during the third quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,596 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $403,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WWD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Woodward in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $440.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial raised their target price on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Woodward in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $450.00 price target for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $390.27.

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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