Midland Wealth Advisors LLC Has $4.50 Million Stock Holdings in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Midland Wealth Advisors LLC lowered its position in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 17,818 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 1,667 shares during the quarter. Woodward accounts for 0.2% of Midland Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest position. Midland Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Woodward were worth $4,503,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 1,766.7% during the third 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 bought a new stake in shares of Woodward in the third quarter worth $30,000. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new stake in Woodward in the second quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in Woodward by 627.3% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 160 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total transaction of $1,489,400.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 15,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,508,413.80. This trade represents a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 9,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,890,303.60. This trade represents a 42.14% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 47,450 shares of company stock worth $14,706,235 over the last 90 days. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $390.92 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $23.31 billion, a PE ratio of 49.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.00. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $334.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $284.80. Woodward, Inc. has a 1-year low of $146.82 and a 1-year 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, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. Woodward had a net margin of 12.89% and a return on equity of 19.07%. The company had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.35 earnings per share. The firm’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. As a group, analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, November 20th that permits the company to buyback $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the technology company to reacquire up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is an increase from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s payout ratio is 14.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on WWD shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen raised Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Melius Research upgraded Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their target price on Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $354.80.

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.