Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Cut to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from “strong-buy” to “buy,” though the broader analyst view remains positive with a Moderate Buy consensus and a $390.27 average price target.
• Woodward reported better-than-expected fiscal Q2 results, with EPS of $2.27 versus $2.10 expected and revenue of $1.09 billion versus $1.01 billion expected. Revenue rose 23.4% year over year.
• Insider selling has been notable, including sales by the EVP and CEO, and insiders have sold 19,475 shares worth about $7.4 million over the last three months.

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

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $450.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $440.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $390.27.

Woodward Price Performance

WWD opened at $369.93 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $375.51 and a 200-day moving average of $333.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.30, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.92. Woodward has a 12-month low of $193.74 and a 12-month high of $407.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In other Woodward news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total transaction of $711,084.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,095 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,189,625.15. This represents a 37.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.40, for a total transaction of $1,837,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,854 shares in the company, valued at $24,194,759.60. The trade was a 7.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 19,475 shares of company stock worth $7,405,135 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. JSF Financial LLC increased its position in Woodward by 19.2% during the first quarter. JSF Financial LLC now owns 3,959 shares of the technology company's stock worth $1,417,000 after buying an additional 639 shares during the last quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Woodward during the first quarter worth $262,000. Hollencrest Capital Management increased its position in Woodward by 1,800.0% during the first quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 209 shares of the technology company's stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in Woodward by 5.4% during the first quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 758 shares of the technology company's stock worth $271,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in Woodward by 82.5% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the technology company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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