Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) CEO Charles Blankenship Sells 5,000 Shares

by · The Markets Daily

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD – Get Free Report) CEO Charles Blankenship sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $367.40, for a total value 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Woodward Stock Up 0.0%

WWD opened at $385.91 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $358.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $298.71. Woodward, Inc. has a twelve month low of $146.82 and a twelve month high of $403.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 2.05. The firm has a market cap of $23.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.96.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. Woodward had a return on equity of 19.07% and a net margin of 12.89%.The company had revenue of $996.45 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $901.92 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.35 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Woodward, Inc. will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 19th. This is a boost from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.12%.

Woodward announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Thursday, November 20th that allows the company to repurchase $1.80 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the technology company to purchase up to 11.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on WWD. Zacks Research upgraded Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Melius Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Woodward from $430.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $354.80.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Woodward

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WWD. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Woodward in the third quarter valued at $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its position in Woodward by 1,766.7% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 112 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new position in Woodward in the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Woodward during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

About Woodward

(Get Free Report)

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.

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