Zions Bancorporation National Association UT Lowers Holdings in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Zions Bancorporation National Association UT reduced its position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 13.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,891 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 2,115 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT’s holdings in Woodward were worth $3,510,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WWD. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward in the 2nd quarter valued at about $201,555,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in Woodward by 31.8% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 639,139 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $156,646,000 after purchasing an additional 154,071 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new position in Woodward in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,208,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the 2nd quarter worth $27,617,000. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth $12,300,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares of the business’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 transaction, the director directly 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 47,450 shares of company stock valued at $14,706,235. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Stock Down 0.3%

WWD opened at $379.39 on Monday. Woodward, Inc. has a 12 month low of $146.82 and a 12 month high of $403.31. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $327.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $281.54. The company has a market cap of $22.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.00.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. The business had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $901.92 million. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.07% and a net margin of 12.89%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.35 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Woodward announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 20th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the technology company to purchase up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Woodward Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Woodward from $378.00 to $417.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Melius Research upgraded Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $354.80.

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.