Woodward, Inc. $WWD Shares Sold by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 27.2% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 4,453 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 1,663 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Woodward were worth $1,594,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Woodward by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,388,758 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $603,663,000 after acquiring an additional 80,538 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Woodward by 45.7% in the fourth quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 1,065,294 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $322,060,000 after purchasing an additional 334,333 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 8.5% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 982,448 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $297,014,000 after purchasing an additional 76,870 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in Woodward by 12.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 904,404 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $323,705,000 after buying an additional 100,465 shares during the last quarter. 81.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Woodward Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of WWD stock opened at $363.57 on Tuesday. Woodward, Inc. has a 1-year low of $233.31 and a 1-year high of $450.92. The company has a market cap of $21.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.44, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $395.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $377.83.

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

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio is 14.24%.

Insider Activity at Woodward

In other Woodward news, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 4,434 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,578,725.70. The trade was a 76.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total value of $104,344.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,601,320.02. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 17,779 shares of company stock valued at $6,337,168. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WWD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Susquehanna started coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. UBS Group increased their price target on Woodward from $427.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $406.00.

Woodward 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.