Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Raised to Strong-Buy at Susquehanna

Key Points

• Susquehanna upgraded Woodward to a “strong-buy” rating, adding to a broadly positive analyst backdrop that includes more buy ratings than holds. The current consensus from MarketBeat is Moderate Buy with an average price target of $393.
• Woodward’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $2.27 versus $2.10 expected and revenue of $1.09 billion versus $1.01 billion forecast. Revenue rose 23.4% year over year, and the company issued FY2026 guidance of 9.15–9.45 EPS.
• Shares were up 2.8% in Tuesday trading, opening at $361.25. The stock has traded between $212.10 and $407.00 over the past 12 months, while insiders recently sold shares and institutional investors continue to hold the majority of the stock.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Susquehanna to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on WWD. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research downgraded Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and issued a $470.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Woodward has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $393.00.

Woodward Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $361.25 on Tuesday. Woodward has a 12-month low of $212.10 and a 12-month high of $407.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $21.52 billion, a PE ratio of 43.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50-day moving average of $369.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $342.62.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 20.12%. The company's revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.69 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Woodward will post 9.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In related news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 3,095 shares in the company, valued at $1,189,625.15. This trade represents a 37.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 20,404 shares of company stock worth $7,741,205 over the last quarter. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Woodward by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,116 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $399,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Woodward by 5.4% during the 1st 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 during the last quarter. Wealthstream Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Woodward by 2.8% during the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Woodward by 4.2% during the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. lifted its position in shares of Woodward by 3.0% during the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company's stock.

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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