Royal Bank Of Canada Upgrades Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) to "Moderate Buy"

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) to a "Moderate Buy", and the stock carries a consensus analyst rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $385.91.
• Woodward posted a strong quarter — EPS $2.17 vs. $1.65 expected and revenue of $996.45M (up 28.8% year‑over‑year) — and set FY2026 guidance of 8.20–8.60 EPS.
• Company insiders have been selling recently (including the CEO and a director), totaling 26,925 shares worth about $10.2M last quarter, leaving insiders with roughly 0.71% ownership.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada to a "moderate buy" rating in a research note issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $440.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Woodward from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $385.91.

Woodward Trading Up 5.3%

Woodward stock opened at $394.83 on Thursday. Woodward has a 52 week low of $162.85 and a 52 week high of $407.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $379.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $322.71.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. The company had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.35 EPS. The company's revenue was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Woodward will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In other news, Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $369.62, for a total transaction of $831,645.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,974,551.50. This trade represents a 9.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.40, for a total transaction of $1,837,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 65,854 shares in the company, valued at $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 26,925 shares of company stock worth $10,203,160 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in Woodward by 1,766.7% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Woodward in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors own 81.18% 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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