Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) Stock Has Average Target Price of $418.36 According to Analysts

Shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $418.36.

WWD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Melius Research downgraded Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $388.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday, September 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Woodward from $440.00 to $430.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th.

Woodward Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $303.55 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Woodward has a 12-month low of $253.52 and a 12-month high of $450.92. The company has a market cap of $17.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.77, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.86. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $333.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $366.29.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.76 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Woodward will post 9.46 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.24%.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other Woodward news, EVP Shawn McLevige sold 2,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total transaction of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,105,428.36. This trade represents a 40.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Woodward during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the third quarter worth $34,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Woodward by 550.0% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 91 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Woodward by 82.5% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Woodward

Woodward, Inc is an independent designer, manufacturer and service provider of control systems and components for the aerospace and industrial markets. The company develops technologies that help manage the flow of fuel, air, and other fluids, as well as mechanical and electrical energy, in engines and other power-generation systems.

Its aerospace products include fuel pumps and metering systems, engine controls, actuators, air valves, and electric power-management systems for commercial aircraft, business aviation, military aircraft, helicopters, and space applications.