Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Acquires 2,118 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 10.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 22,451 shares of the technology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,118 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Woodward were worth $7,322,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of WWD. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward in the third quarter worth $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Woodward in the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Woodward by 1,766.7% during 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 during the period. Financial Perspectives Inc acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Woodward during the second quarter valued at about $39,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WWD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research upgraded Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $354.80.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other news, Director Eileen P. Paterson sold 5,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $378.15, for a total transaction of $1,966,380.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,538 shares in the company, valued at approximately $959,744.70. This represents a 67.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total transaction of $711,084.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,095 shares in the company, valued at $1,189,625.15. This trade represents a 37.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 26,925 shares of company stock valued at $10,203,160. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of WWD opened at $351.17 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.05. The company has a market cap of $20.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.23, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $367.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $308.57. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $146.82 and a 52-week high of $403.31.

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

Woodward Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th were given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 19th. This is a boost from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is 16.12%.

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.