EULAV Asset Management Buys 60,411 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

EULAV Asset Management boosted its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 53.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 174,011 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 60,411 shares during the period. Woodward comprises approximately 1.4% of EULAV Asset Management’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. EULAV Asset Management’s holdings in Woodward were worth $52,607,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Norges Bank bought a new position in Woodward during the fourth quarter valued at about $251,365,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership bought a new position in Woodward during the third quarter valued at about $184,721,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Woodward by 122.0% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 905,578 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $228,849,000 after buying an additional 497,722 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its position in Woodward by 1,086.9% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 330,514 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $83,524,000 after buying an additional 302,666 shares during the period. Finally, Findlay Park Partners LLP bought a new position in Woodward during the third quarter valued at about $73,406,000. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other news, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 2,625 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.80, for a total value of $1,010,100.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,340,619.20. This represents a 3.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.00, for a total transaction of $65,675.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,295,040. The trade was a 4.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 8,554 shares of company stock worth $3,183,170. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna assumed coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $393.00.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $357.74 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.31 billion, a PE ratio of 42.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.89. Woodward, Inc. has a twelve month low of $227.00 and a twelve month high of $407.00. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $366.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $346.86.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. Woodward had a net margin of 12.85% and a return on equity of 20.12%. The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.69 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.33%.

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.