Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 8.200-8.600 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 7.970. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.1 billion-$4.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.0 billion.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Woodward from $329.00 to $362.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Zacks Research raised shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $366.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a report on Friday, January 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $323.89.

Woodward Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD traded up $9.41 on Monday, reaching $327.25. 1,022,598 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 554,319. Woodward has a twelve month low of $146.82 and a twelve month high of $339.10. The company has a fifty day moving average of $310.89 and a 200-day moving average of $273.14. The company has a market capitalization of $19.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.51, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 2.08, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.53. The business had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $901.92 million. Woodward had a return on equity of 17.68% and a net margin of 12.39%.Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Woodward will post 6.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Woodward announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, November 20th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.80 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the technology company to repurchase up to 11.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Thomas G. Cromwell sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $297.88, for a total value of $1,489,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 15,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,508,413.80. The trade was a 24.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total transaction of $2,105,320.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 9,610 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,890,303.60. This represents a 42.14% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Woodline Partners LP bought a new position in shares of Woodward in the 1st quarter valued at $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in Woodward by 35.5% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 626 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position in Woodward by 684.3% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $920,000 after acquiring an additional 4,400 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in Woodward by 7.0% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,030 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $988,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 11.9% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $124,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.