Wall Street Zen Downgrades Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) to Hold

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward to “hold” from “buy,” although the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $406.45.
• Woodward reported quarterly EPS of $2.52, exceeding estimates by $0.08, while revenue reached $1.11 billion and increased 21.2% year over year. Management guided fiscal 2026 EPS to $9.30–$9.50.
• Insiders sold 17,779 shares worth approximately $6.34 million over the past three months, while institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Susquehanna assumed coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a "positive" rating and a $423.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, July 17th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $406.45.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $362.89 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $21.43 billion, a PE ratio of 40.37, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $396.88 and a 200 day moving average of $378.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Woodward 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 quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 21.89% and a net margin of 13.17%.The company's revenue was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.76 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Woodward will post 9.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In related news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,434 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $65,675.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,648 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,295,040. The trade was a 4.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 17,779 shares of company stock worth $6,337,168. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the second quarter worth about $318,000. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI bought a new stake in Woodward during the 2nd quarter valued at about $457,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Woodward during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,984,684,000. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Woodward in the 2nd quarter valued at about $987,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in Woodward in the 2nd quarter valued at about $39,759,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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