Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) Receives Average Recommendation of "Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts remain bullish on Woodward: Fourteen brokerages give the stock an average “Buy” rating, including eleven buys and two strong buys. The average 12-month price target is approximately $406.45.
• Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Woodward reported adjusted EPS of $2.52 versus the $2.44 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 21.2% year over year to $1.11 billion. Management issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $9.30–$9.50.
• Shares opened at $365.78, down 2%: The stock remains below its 50-day moving average of $396.62 but above its 200-day average of $378.63. Insiders sold roughly $6.34 million of stock over the past three months, while institutional investors own 81.18% of the company.

Shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Buy" from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have issued a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $406.4545.

WWD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group increased their target price on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Susquehanna assumed coverage on 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 price objective on Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, May 1st.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. This represents a 76.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,297 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,601,320.02. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 17,779 shares of company stock valued at $6,337,168. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,491,870 shares of the technology company's stock worth $451,093,000 after buying an additional 106,390 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its stake in Woodward by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 169,174 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $51,145,000 after buying an additional 22,555 shares during the last quarter. Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension bought a new position in Woodward in the 4th quarter worth $24,436,000. Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. bought a new position in Woodward in the 4th quarter worth $1,164,000. Finally, Aubrey Capital Management Ltd acquired a new position in Woodward during the 4th quarter worth $2,812,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Down 2.0%

WWD stock opened at $365.78 on Friday. Woodward has a 52-week low of $233.31 and a 52-week high of $450.92. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $396.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $378.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.88.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.76 EPS. The company's revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Woodward will post 9.46 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.24%.

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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