Quantbot Technologies LP Takes Position in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 11,623 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,937,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Anfield Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth $2,396,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter worth about $184,721,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Woodward in the third quarter worth about $733,000. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Woodward by 2.6% in the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 25,401 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $6,419,000 after buying an additional 646 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. raised its stake in Woodward by 148.4% during the third quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 457 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $115,000 after buying an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Woodward Trading Up 4.1%

NASDAQ:WWD opened at $402.56 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $24.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.70, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.05. Woodward, Inc. has a 1 year low of $146.82 and a 1 year high of $403.31. The business has a fifty day moving average of $348.06 and a 200-day moving average of $292.30.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. The business had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.35 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

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

Woodward Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is a boost from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. Woodward’s payout ratio is 16.12%.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director Eileen P. Paterson sold 5,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $378.15, for a total value of $1,966,380.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,538 shares in the company, valued at $959,744.70. This represents a 67.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total value of $2,105,320.00. Following the transaction, 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 34,450 shares of company stock worth $10,838,995 in the last three months. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Melius Research raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Woodward presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $354.80.

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.