Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Sets New 1-Year High - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Woodward reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $404.01 (last $404.0150) during mid-day action on Tuesday on volume of about 54,888 shares.
• It reported a strong quarter — EPS $2.17 vs. $1.65 expected and revenue $996.45M (+28.8% YoY) — and set FY2026 guidance of 8.20–8.60 EPS.
• Analysts are broadly positive with several price-target increases (e.g., Deutsche Bank $445, Wells Fargo $440, Goldman $408) and an overall MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a $379.50 target.

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $404.01 and last traded at $404.0150, with a volume of 54888 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $399.23.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on WWD. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $440.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $379.50.

Woodward Trading Up 1.5%

The firm has a market capitalization of $24.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.98. The firm's 50 day moving average is $378.76 and its 200 day moving average is $319.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

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

Woodward Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th were paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This is a boost from Woodward's previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 19th. Woodward's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In related news, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 2,625 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.80, for a total transaction of $1,010,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,854 shares of the company's stock, valued at $25,340,619.20. This represents a 3.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Eileen P. Paterson sold 5,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $378.15, for a total transaction of $1,966,380.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,538 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $959,744.70. This represents a 67.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 26,925 shares of company stock valued at $10,203,160 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position 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 buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Woodward in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Financial Perspectives Inc purchased a new stake in Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.