Insider Selling: Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) EVP Sells $100,841.76 in Stock

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) EVP Karrie Bem sold 279 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.44, for a total transaction of $100,841.76. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,018 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,452,265.92. This represents a 6.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Woodward Trading Up 3.3%

NASDAQ WWD opened at $356.38 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $21.23 billion, a PE ratio of 42.68, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Woodward, Inc. has a 12 month low of $204.03 and a 12 month high of $407.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $370.64 and a 200-day moving average of $339.98.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.69 EPS. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WWD has been the subject of several research reports. TD Cowen raised their price target on Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $390.27.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Woodward by 3.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,388,758 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $603,663,000 after purchasing an additional 80,538 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Woodward by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,491,870 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $451,093,000 after purchasing an additional 106,390 shares in the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC raised its stake in Woodward by 0.6% in the third quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 1,403,551 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $354,691,000 after purchasing an additional 8,307 shares in the last quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership raised its stake in Woodward by 45.7% in the fourth quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 1,065,294 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $322,060,000 after purchasing an additional 334,333 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Woodward by 8.5% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 982,448 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $297,014,000 after purchasing an additional 76,870 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

More Woodward News

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings estimates across multiple periods for Woodward, including Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q4 2027, Q1 2028, Q2 2028, and FY2028. Higher EPS forecasts suggest stronger expected profitability and can help justify the stock’s higher valuation. Woodward stock page
• Positive Sentiment: The firm’s updated FY2028 EPS estimate of $11.55, up from $10.95, reinforces the view that Woodward can continue delivering solid long-term earnings growth. Woodward stock page
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research still rates Woodward “Hold,” so the improved earnings outlook has not yet translated into a more bullish recommendation. Woodward stock page
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Karrie Bem sold 185 shares, following a prior sale of 279 shares, which may slightly pressure investor sentiment because insider selling can be viewed as a lack of near-term conviction. SEC filing

About Woodward

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.