Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Rating Increased to Moderate Buy at Royal Bank Of Canada

Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) to a moderate buy rating in a report published on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Woodward from $366.00 to $404.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Melius Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Woodward presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $385.91.

Woodward Stock Up 5.3%

NASDAQ WWD opened at $394.83 on Thursday. Woodward has a 52 week low of $162.85 and a 52 week high of $407.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a market capitalization of $23.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $379.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $322.71.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.07% and a net margin of 12.89%.The firm’s revenue was up 28.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.35 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Woodward will post 6.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th were issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. This is a positive change from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 19th. Woodward’s payout ratio is presently 16.12%.

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director John D. Cohn sold 2,250 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $369.62, for a total value of $831,645.00. Following the sale, the director owned 21,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,974,551.50. The trade was a 9.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total value 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 26,925 shares of company stock valued at $10,203,160 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WWD. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Woodward during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Woodward during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position in Woodward by 1,766.7% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Woodward in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new position in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.