Woodward, Inc. $WWD Stake Lessened by Senator Investment Group LP

Senator Investment Group LP reduced its position in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 4.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 451,538 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 23,289 shares during the period. Woodward makes up about 5.5% of Senator Investment Group LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Senator Investment Group LP owned approximately 0.76% of Woodward worth $136,509,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of WWD. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Woodward in the 4th quarter worth $251,365,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership purchased a new position in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth $184,721,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Woodward by 122.0% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $228,849,000 after buying an additional 497,722 shares during the last quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP boosted its stake in shares of Woodward by 136.2% in the 4th quarter. Findlay Park Partners LLP now owns 686,200 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $207,452,000 after buying an additional 395,726 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Woodward by 1,086.9% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $83,524,000 after buying an additional 302,666 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Price Performance

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $402.50 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $369.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $352.35. The stock has a market cap of $23.98 billion, a PE ratio of 48.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.89. Woodward, Inc. has a 52 week low of $233.31 and a 52 week high of $407.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.69 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. Woodward’s payout ratio is 15.33%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total value of $65,675.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,648 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,295,040. The trade was a 4.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on WWD shares. UBS Group raised their price target on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Susquehanna started coverage on Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $393.00.

Woodward 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.