South Dakota Investment Council Takes Position in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

South Dakota Investment Council purchased a new position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 2,066 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $739,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WWD. Amundi lifted its holdings in Woodward by 1,599.9% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 13,395 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $4,794,000 after buying an additional 12,607 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Woodward by 27.7% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,140 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $408,000 after buying an additional 247 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 22.3% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 69,546 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $24,892,000 after buying an additional 12,690 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of Woodward by 11.0% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 70,721 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $25,311,000 after buying an additional 6,994 shares during the period. Finally, Regal Partners Ltd raised its position in shares of Woodward by 62.5% during the first quarter. Regal Partners Ltd now owns 3,249 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,163,000 after acquiring an additional 1,249 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares in the company, valued at $1,601,320.02. The trade was a 6.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total transaction of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,578,725.70. The trade was a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 15,629 shares of company stock worth $5,570,005 in the last quarter. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, July 17th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Susquehanna initiated coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Woodward presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $393.83.

Trending Headlines about Woodward

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Woodward reported fiscal Q3 adjusted earnings of $2.52 per share, exceeding the $2.39–$2.44 analyst range and rising 43.2% from the prior year. Revenue increased 21.2% to approximately $1.11 billion, supported by aerospace and industrial demand, pricing, and higher volume. WWD Q3 Earnings Beat on Aerospace and Industrial Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $9.30–$9.50, broadly consistent with the current analyst expectation of $9.34. The company also plans to reduce hiring needs by about 1,000 positions by 2029, which could support productivity and margins over time. Woodward raises 2026 adjusted EPS view
• Positive Sentiment: Growth-focused commentary highlights Woodward’s above-average financial growth, while a bullish technical setup—a hammer pattern after the recent decline—and upward earnings-estimate revisions suggest potential near-term support. Woodward is an Incredible Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen assigned Woodward a Hold rating, indicating that the strong operating results may already be reflected in the valuation and that investors may want additional evidence of sustained growth. Woodward Gets a Hold from TD Cowen
• Negative Sentiment: The stock initially declined despite the earnings beat because Woodward’s aerospace outlook narrowed. Investors appear concerned that this could constrain future growth, offsetting the benefits of the higher fiscal-year guidance. Woodward shares fall as aerospace outlook narrows

Woodward Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $360.75 on Friday. Woodward, Inc. has a 1 year low of $233.31 and a 1 year high of $450.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The business’s 50-day moving average is $395.61 and its 200-day moving average is $377.24. The company has a market capitalization of $21.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.86.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. Woodward had a return on equity of 21.89% and a net margin of 13.17%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.76 earnings per share. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Woodward’s payout ratio is currently 15.33%.

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.