Van ECK Associates Corp Acquires 4,560 Shares of Woodward, Inc. $WWD

Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) by 9.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 52,102 shares of the technology company’s stock after buying an additional 4,560 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Woodward were worth $22,166,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Navellier & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Woodward by 6.2% during the 2nd quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. now owns 9,726 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $4,138,000 after acquiring an additional 564 shares during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp purchased a new position in shares of Woodward during the second quarter valued at approximately $246,000. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Woodward during the second quarter valued at approximately $506,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Woodward during the second quarter valued at approximately $3,218,000. Finally, United Capital Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Woodward during the second quarter valued at approximately $297,000. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WWD opened at $341.81 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.18 billion, a PE ratio of 38.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.88. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $387.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $379.65. Woodward, Inc. has a twelve month low of $233.31 and a twelve month high of $450.92.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The technology company reported $2.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.44 by $0.08. Woodward had a net margin of 13.17% and a return on equity of 21.89%. The company had revenue of $1.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.76 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 21.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.300-9.500 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Woodward, Inc. will post 9.46 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid 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 (DPR) is currently 14.24%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 2,150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.82, for a total transaction of $767,163.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,105,428.36. The trade was a 40.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Daniel G. Korte sold 14,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $356.05, for a total value of $5,233,935.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,578,725.70. This trade represents a 76.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WWD. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Woodward from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Susquehanna started coverage on shares of Woodward in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “positive” rating and a $423.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen cut Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Woodward from $450.00 to $430.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $419.00.

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.