North Dakota State Investment Board Buys New Shares in Woodward, Inc. $WWD

North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 2,089 shares of the technology company’s stock, valued at approximately $632,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in Woodward during the third quarter worth $2,937,000. AlphaQuest LLC boosted its position in Woodward by 300.8% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 6,766 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $1,710,000 after purchasing an additional 5,078 shares during the period. Syntax Research Inc. bought a new position in Woodward during the third quarter worth $1,011,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH bought a new position in Woodward during the third quarter worth $12,300,000. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Woodward during the third quarter worth $878,000. 81.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total transaction of $711,084.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,189,625.15. This represents a 37.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 185 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $352.48, for a total transaction of $65,208.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,833 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,351,055.84. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 20,219 shares of company stock valued at $7,675,530 over the last quarter. 0.71% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Woodward News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple earnings estimates for Woodward, including FY2026, FY2027, and several quarterly periods through FY2028, signaling improved profit expectations and a stronger long-term earnings outlook for the aerospace and industrial supplier.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm’s FY2028 EPS estimate was increased to $11.55 from $10.95, reinforcing the view that Woodward can continue growing earnings at a healthy pace.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the higher forecasts, Zacks Research kept its rating at “Hold,” which suggests the analyst upgrade in estimates was not accompanied by a more bullish stock recommendation.
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Karrie Bem sold 185 shares in a recent insider transaction, adding a small overhang to sentiment as investors often watch executive selling for signs of reduced confidence. SEC filing

Woodward Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of Woodward stock opened at $355.76 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $370.04 and a 200-day moving average of $340.64. The stock has a market cap of $21.20 billion, a PE ratio of 42.61, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.92. Woodward, Inc. has a 52-week low of $204.03 and a 52-week high of $407.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.73.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The business had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.69 earnings per share. Woodward’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given 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 is currently 15.33%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WWD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research cut shares of Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price objective on shares of Woodward in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $390.27.

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.