Diversify Advisory Services LLC Purchases Shares of 1,908 Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 1,908 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $801,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of WWD. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in Woodward by 35.5% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Woodward by 684.3% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $920,000 after buying an additional 4,400 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Woodward by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,030 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $988,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in Woodward by 11.9% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $124,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on WWD shares. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Susquehanna initiated coverage on Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price objective on the stock. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $419.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction 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 represents a 76.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total value of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,098 shares in the company, valued at $1,105,428.36. This trade represents a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Trading Down 4.9%

Shares of WWD stock opened at $342.20 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $396.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $380.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.14. Woodward, Inc. has a 1-year low of $233.31 and a 1-year high of $450.92. The firm has a market cap of $20.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.06, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.88.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.76 earnings per share. Woodward’s revenue was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward’s payout ratio is currently 14.24%.

More Woodward News

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2026 EPS estimate to $9.46 from $9.18, lifted FY2027 EPS to $10.35 from $10.30, and increased FY2028 EPS to $12.00 from $11.55. The firm also raised estimates for Q4 2026, Q1 and Q2 2027, and Q1 and Q2 2028, signaling improved longer-term earnings expectations. Woodward stock information
• Neutral Sentiment: The FY2026 estimate of $9.46 matches the broader consensus, while Zacks continues to rate WWD “Hold.” This suggests the estimate increases are constructive but not strong enough to trigger a more bullish analyst view. Woodward analyst information
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced its Q3 2027 EPS forecast to $2.77 from $2.82 and cut its Q4 2027 estimate to $2.77 from $2.86. It also lowered Q3 2028 EPS to $3.24 from $3.27, indicating some moderation in projected earnings growth. Woodward research information

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.