Woodward, Inc. $WWD Stock Holdings Trimmed by LaFleur & Godfrey LLC

LaFleur & Godfrey LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 3.7% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 54,079 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 2,079 shares during the quarter. Woodward accounts for 2.1% of LaFleur & Godfrey LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC’s holdings in Woodward were worth $17,770,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward during the second quarter worth $2,984,684,000. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 12.5% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 904,404 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $323,705,000 after acquiring an additional 100,465 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Woodward during the second quarter worth about $303,698,000. Findlay Park Partners LLP purchased a new position in Woodward during the second quarter worth about $231,958,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Woodward during the second quarter worth about $184,322,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Woodward Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $304.06 on Thursday. Woodward, Inc. has a 12-month low of $253.52 and a 12-month high of $450.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The stock has a market cap of $17.95 billion, a PE ratio of 33.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a 50-day moving average of $329.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $364.29.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.76 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

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 issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on WWD. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on Woodward from $450.00 to $420.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Woodward from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Zacks Research downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on Woodward from $430.00 to $380.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Guggenheim initiated coverage on Woodward in a report on Monday, September 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $404.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Woodward has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $413.82.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Shawn McLevige sold 2,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total value of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,105,428.36. This trade represents a 40.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.71% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Woodward Company Profile

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.