Woodward, Inc. $WWD Shares Sold by New York State Common Retirement Fund

New York State Common Retirement Fund lessened its stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 77,613 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 2,600 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned 0.13% of Woodward worth $19,614,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Woodward in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Financial Perspectives Inc acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new position in Woodward during the second quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Woodward by 627.3% during 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 in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Stock Performance

NASDAQ WWD opened at $317.84 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $310.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $273.14. 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 $19.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.21, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.00. Woodward, Inc. has a 1-year low of $146.82 and a 1-year high of $339.10.

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

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on WWD. Wall Street Zen raised Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Woodward from $345.00 to $378.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Woodward from $350.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Woodward from $329.00 to $362.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.89.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other Woodward news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total transaction of $1,489,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 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 Woodward stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total transaction of $888,990.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 21,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,393,319.75. The trade was a 12.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock valued at $11,908,210. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

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.