Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Susquehanna

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) was upgraded by analysts at Susquehanna to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $393.00.

Woodward Trading Up 2.8%

NASDAQ WWD opened at $361.25 on Tuesday. Woodward has a twelve month low of $212.10 and a twelve month 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. The stock has a market cap of $21.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.26, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.92. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $369.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $342.62.

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

Insider Transactions at Woodward

In other news, CEO Charles P. Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.40, for a total transaction of $1,837,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,194,759.60. This represents a 7.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 20,404 shares of company stock worth $7,741,205. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of WWD. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in Woodward in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Woodward in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Woodward by 82.5% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 115 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Woodward in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.