Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Price Target Raised to $417.00

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) had its price objective increased by UBS Group from $378.00 to $417.00 in a report released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have a buy rating on the technology company’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on WWD. Wall Street Zen upgraded Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Melius Research upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Woodward from $350.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $342.80.

Woodward Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $376.81 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $316.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $275.82. Woodward has a 12-month low of $146.82 and a 12-month high of $384.66. The firm has a market cap of $22.61 billion, a PE ratio of 47.46, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.00. 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) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 previous year, the business earned $1.35 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This is a positive change from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Woodward’s payout ratio is presently 14.11%.

Woodward declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 20th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the technology company to reacquire up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other Woodward news, Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $369.62, for a total value of $831,645.00. Following the sale, the director owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at $7,974,551.50. This trade represents a 9.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total transaction of $2,105,320.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 9,610 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,303.60. The trade was a 42.14% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 42,250 shares of company stock worth $12,739,855. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WWD. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth about $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 1,766.7% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the period. Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new position in Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in Woodward in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Woodward

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and raised guidance — Woodward reported $2.17 EPS vs. $1.65 expected and revenue of $996.5M vs. $901.9M; management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $8.20–$8.60, which is the primary driver of the rally. Woodward Hits New 1-Year High After Better-Than-Expected Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness and target increases — Brokers have raised price targets (example: a ~15.6% reported target bump to $392.93) after the results, supporting further upside. Woodward (WWD) price target increased by 15.59% to 392.93
• Positive Sentiment: Street upgrades/mentions — UBS and other coverage cite upside potential; UBS analyst noted the stock is expected to rise, adding momentum to the move. Woodward Stock Price Expected to Rise, UBS Group Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks recognition — Woodward was added to Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth list, which can attract momentum and model-driven flows. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for February 5th
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/market-note — Coverage and commentary highlight a fresh 52-week high and ask whether there’s more upside; that can mean both momentum buying and risk of short-term pullbacks. Woodward, Inc. (WWD) Hits Fresh High: Is There Still Room to Run?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale — Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares at about $369.62 (≈$831.6K); his remaining stake dropped ~9.4%. This is a disclosure item investors monitor but is not large enough to change the company’s fundamentals. John D. Cohn Insider Sale

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.