Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday. The company provided EPS guidance of 8.200-8.600 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 7.970. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.1 billion-$4.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.0 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on WWD shares. Zacks Research raised Woodward from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Woodward from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Woodward from $329.00 to $362.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Woodward from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Woodward from $345.00 to $378.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Woodward currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.89.

Woodward Trading Up 3.0%

Woodward stock opened at $327.25 on Tuesday. Woodward has a 52-week low of $146.82 and a 52-week high of $339.10. The company has a market cap of $19.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $312.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $273.63.

Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The technology company reported $2.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.52. Woodward had a net margin of 12.39% and a return on equity of 17.68%. The company had revenue of $996.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $901.92 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.35 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.600 EPS. Analysts predict that Woodward will post 6.15 EPS for the current year.

Woodward Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. This is a boost from Woodward’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. Woodward’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.58%.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John D. Cohn sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $296.33, for a total transaction of $888,990.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 21,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,393,319.75. This trade represents a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.76, for a total value of $2,105,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 9,610 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,890,303.60. This represents a 42.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 40,000 shares of company stock worth $11,908,210 over the last three months. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Woodward News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and upgraded guidance: Woodward reported EPS of $2.17 and revenue of $996.5M (roughly +29% YoY), beating estimates, and raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $8.20–8.60 with revenue guidance above Street expectations — a primary driver of the stock’s uptick. Woodward Reports Strong First Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion from aerospace services and industrial growth: Company commentary and analyst deep dives point to higher gross and operating margins driven by aerospace services mix and improving industrial demand. That margin leverage is supporting better-than-expected profit growth. WWD Q4 Deep Dive: Aerospace Services and Industrial Growth Propel Margin Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase: Board raised the quarterly payout to $0.32 (14% increase), reinforcing cash‑flow confidence and returning capital to shareholders (yield remains modest). Income-minded investors may view this as a vote of management confidence. Woodward Increases Quarterly Dividend by 14 Percent
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and momentum: Multiple buy ratings and higher price targets have followed the print; institutional interest and upgraded forecasts are reinforcing the bullish case. Woodward Inc. (WWD) Stock Rises on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong cash and operating metrics: Company reported meaningful YoY improvement in cash from operations, higher cash balances and capex growth; these support the outlook but require monitoring for sustainability. Woodward Inc. (WWD) Stock Rises on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Call materials and transcript available: Management provided slides and an earnings call/transcript that detail segment dynamics and backlog — useful for investors wanting to dig into assumptions behind the guidance. Woodward, Inc. (WWD) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation questions: The stronger results push multiples higher (WWD trades with an elevated P/E), and some commentators flag that the rally, plus the dividend bump, may already be priced into shares — raising near‑term valuation risk. Woodward Dividend Hike And Earnings Strength Raise Valuation Questions
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Recent disclosures show insider sales (no recent purchases), which some investors view as a cautionary sign on near‑term upside. Track insider activity for ongoing context. Woodward Inc. (WWD) Stock Rises on Q1 2026 Earnings

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Woodward

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Woodward during the 1st quarter valued at about $2,039,000. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in Woodward by 35.5% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,390 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 626 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its position in Woodward by 684.3% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,043 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $920,000 after purchasing an additional 4,400 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted 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 purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in shares of Woodward by 11.9% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 506 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $124,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.18% of the company’s stock.

Woodward Company 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.