Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,384,338 shares, an increase of 76.3% from the April 30th total of 785,234 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 652,048 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.1 days. Approximately 2.3% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $470.00 price target on shares of Woodward in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Woodward in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $450.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Woodward in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $440.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered Woodward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their target price on Woodward from $404.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $393.00.

Woodward Stock Up 2.4%

Shares of WWD traded up $8.43 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $353.13. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 285,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 688,756. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market cap of $21.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a 50 day moving average of $367.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $344.97. Woodward has a 1-year low of $227.00 and a 1-year high of $407.00.

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

Woodward Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Woodward’s payout ratio is presently 15.33%.

Insider Activity

In other Woodward news, EVP Karrie M. Bem sold 280 shares of Woodward stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $372.66, for a total transaction of $104,344.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,601,320.02. The trade was a 6.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Charles P. 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 transaction of $1,837,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 65,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,194,759.60. This trade represents a 7.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 13,554 shares of company stock worth $5,106,920 over the last quarter. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Woodward

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

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.