Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• FY 2026 guidance raised: Woodward updated guidance to EPS $9.15–$9.45 and revenue $4.3B–$4.4B, both above consensus estimates (EPS $8.74; revenue $4.1B).
• Q1 outperformed expectations: The company reported EPS of $2.17 versus $1.65 expected and revenue of $996.45M versus $901.92M, with revenue up 28.8% year‑over‑year.
• Analyst sentiment moved higher: Several brokers raised price targets (Goldman $408, Jefferies $450, Deutsche $445, Wells Fargo $440) and the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with a $385.91 target.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 9.150-9.450 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 8.740. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.3 billion-$4.4 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.1 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on WWD. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Woodward from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an "overweight" rating and a $440.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $385.91.

Woodward Stock Down 0.8%

WWD traded down $2.99 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $360.98. The company had a trading volume of 1,260,728 shares, compared to its average volume of 669,459. The company has a market cap of $21.52 billion, a PE ratio of 45.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50-day moving average of $377.95 and a 200-day moving average of $329.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.36. Woodward has a 1-year low of $181.61 and a 1-year high of $407.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. The firm had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $901.92 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.35 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Woodward will post 8.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Woodward's dividend payout ratio is currently 16.12%.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In related news, Director Eileen P. Paterson sold 5,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $378.15, for a total value of $1,966,380.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,538 shares of the company's stock, valued at $959,744.70. This represents a 67.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the company's 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,095 shares in the company, valued at $1,189,625.15. This represents a 37.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 26,925 shares of company stock valued at $10,203,160. Insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Woodline Partners LP bought a new stake in Woodward during the first quarter valued at $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth increased its stake in Woodward by 35.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 626 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Woodward by 684.3% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $920,000 after purchasing an additional 4,400 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Woodward by 7.0% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,030 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $988,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Woodward by 11.9% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $124,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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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