Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $329.55 and last traded at $326.0450, with a volume of 39537 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $321.99.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WWD shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Melius Research raised Woodward to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen raised Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Woodward from $329.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Melius raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $305.56.

Woodward Stock Performance

The business’s fifty day moving average price is $291.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $264.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.61 billion, a PE ratio of 45.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.02.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 24th. The technology company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.26. Woodward had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 17.68%. The business had revenue of $995.26 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $943.15 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.41 EPS. Woodward’s revenue was up 16.5% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Woodward announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 20th that allows the company to buyback $1.80 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the technology company to reacquire up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total value of $1,489,400.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 15,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total transaction of $888,990.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 21,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,393,319.75. This represents a 12.21% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new stake in Woodward in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in Woodward in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.