Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. Buys 2,779 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 33.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,057 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 2,779 shares during the quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Woodward were worth $2,794,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the second quarter worth $39,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of Woodward by 627.3% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 160 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 32.5% in the second quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 220 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $322.59 on Thursday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $19.36 billion, a PE ratio of 44.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.02. Woodward, Inc. has a 1 year low of $146.82 and a 1 year high of $328.42. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $288.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $263.47.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 24th. The technology company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $995.26 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $943.15 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 17.68%. Woodward’s revenue was up 16.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.41 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. Analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, November 20th that permits the company to buyback $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the technology company to repurchase up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward

In other Woodward news, 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 value of $2,105,320.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 9,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,890,303.60. The trade was a 42.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total transaction of $888,990.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 21,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,393,319.75. This trade represents a 12.21% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock valued at $11,908,210. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on WWD shares. Melius raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Wolfe Research set a $300.00 target price on Woodward and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $298.78.

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.