<div id="readability-page-1"><ul><li>3 &#34;Tollbooth&#34; Stocks With Hidden Monopolies in Their Industries</li></ul><p>Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Woodward in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, May 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the technology company will post earnings per share of $2.28 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $2.01. Zacks Research currently has a &#34;Hold&#34; rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Woodward's current full-year earnings is $9.39 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Woodward's Q4 2026 earnings at $2.46 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.12 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.51 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.86 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $2.30 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $2.78 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $11.55 EPS.</p><p>Woodward (NASDAQ:WWD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The technology company reported $2.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.17. Woodward had a return on equity of 20.12% and a net margin of 12.85%.The company had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.69 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Woodward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.150-9.450 EPS. </p><ul><li>Palantir and Woodward Jumped on Earnings Beats—Here Are 3 More Setups to Watch</li></ul><p>Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on WWD. Wells Fargo &amp; Company began coverage on shares of Woodward in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. They issued an &#34;overweight&#34; rating and a $440.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Woodward from $362.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Woodward from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a &#34;hold&#34; rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group  reaffirmed a &#34;buy&#34; rating and issued a $450.00 target price on shares of Woodward in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings  restated a &#34;buy (b)&#34; rating on shares of Woodward in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One research analyst  has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and four have assigned  a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock  has a consensus rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and a consensus target price of $390.27.</p><p><b>View Our Latest Report on WWD</b></p><h2>Woodward Stock Performance</h2><ul><li>Woodward: Delivering Critical Components for the Aerospace Boom</li></ul><p>WWD stock opened at $344.85 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $371.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $339.34. Woodward has a fifty-two week low of $204.03 and a fifty-two week high of $407.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.55 billion, a PE ratio of 41.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.92. </p><h2>Institutional Investors Weigh In On Woodward</h2><p>Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WWD. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of  Woodward by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,388,758 shares of the technology company's stock worth $603,663,000 after acquiring an additional 80,538 shares in the last quarter.  Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in  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 buying an additional 106,390 shares in the last quarter.  Earnest Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of  Woodward by 0.6% during the third quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 1,403,551 shares of the technology company's stock worth $354,691,000 after purchasing an additional 8,307 shares during the period.  Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of  Woodward by 45.7% in the 4th quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 1,065,294 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $322,060,000 after buying an additional 334,333 shares during the last quarter.  Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of  Woodward by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 982,448 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $297,014,000 after buying an additional 76,870 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own  81.18% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Insider Buying and Selling at Woodward</h2><p>In other Woodward news, EVP Shawn M. Mclevige sold 1,850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $384.37, for a total value of $711,084.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,095 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,189,625.15. This represents a 37.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities &amp; Exchange Commission, 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 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 ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 20,219 shares of company stock valued at $7,675,530 in the last three months. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. </p><h2>Woodward Dividend Announcement</h2><p>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 issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Woodward's dividend payout ratio  is currently 15.33%. </p><h2>More Woodward News</h2><p>Here are the key news stories impacting Woodward this week:</p><ul>   <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>Zacks Research raised multiple earnings estimates for Woodward, including Q3 2026, Q4 2026, Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q4 2027, Q1 2028, Q2 2028 and FY2028, signaling higher profit expectations for the aerospace and industrial supplier. <i></i><span>Woodward stock page</span></li>   <li><span>Positive Sentiment: </span>The updated forecasts point to continuing earnings growth, with FY2028 EPS now estimated at $11.55 versus $10.95 previously, which can reinforce investor confidence in Woodward’s longer-term outlook. <i></i><span>Woodward stock page</span></li>   <li><span>Neutral Sentiment: </span>Zacks still rates Woodward “Hold,” so while estimates improved, the research firm is not yet signaling a strong bullish change in stance. <i></i><span>Woodward stock page</span></li>   <li><span>Negative Sentiment: </span>Recent insider sales by EVP Karrie M. Bem, including multiple small share disposals over the past week, may weigh on sentiment by suggesting limited near-term insider buying conviction. <i></i><span>SEC filing</span></li> </ul><h2>Woodward Company Profile</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>Woodward, Inc <span>NASDAQ: WWD<span></span></span> 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.  </p><p>Woodward's product portfolio is organized into two primary segments: Aerospace and Industrial.</p><h2>See Also</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Woodward</li><li>HIVE Weaponizes Power for an AI Pivot</li><li>A Deep Dive Into NVIDIA’s Latest Portfolio Moves</li><li>Brady Corp Wires Up a Massive AI-Powered Breakout</li><li>Why Home Depot’s Sell-Off Could Become a Huge Opportunity</li></ul> <p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/EarningsEstimatesChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9V1dE?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="325" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/EarningsEstimatesChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9V1dE"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Woodward Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Woodward, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Woodward wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Woodward currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

<p>Zacks Research has raised its Q3 2026 earnings per share estimate for Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) from $2.01 to $2.28. The firm maintains a 'Hold' rating, with a full-year earnings consensus of $9.39 per share. Woodward's recent earnings report showed $2.27 EPS, exceeding estimates, and a revenue increase of 23.4% year-over-year. Analysts have varying ratings, with a consensus target price of $390.27.</p>

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