Woodward Stock Jumps 31% in a Year: Can It Sustain the Momentum?

Woodward, Inc.’s WWD shares have proven resilient with a 31.2% gain in the past year compared with Aerospace -Defense Equipment industry and the S&P 500 composite’s growth of 26.9% and 16.6%, respectively.Price PerformanceImage Source: Zacks Investment ResearchThe stock is trading above its 100 and 200-day moving averages, indicating robust upward momentum and price stability. Closing at $184.59 as of yesterday’s trading session, the WWD stock is currently trading 8.5% below its 52-week high of $201.64, attained on Nov. 26, 2024. Headquartered in Fort Collins, CO, Woodward is an independent designer, manufacturer and service provider of energy control and optimization solutions for the aerospace and industrial markets.Strength in Aerospace is driving top-line expansion for Woodward along with the core industrial segment. Can the Woodward stock continue to rally this year driven by several tailwinds?Does this offer investors a buying opportunity or do they need to exercise caution? Let us discuss the pros and cons for WWD and determine the best course of action for your portfolio.WWD to Gain From Several TailwindsRevenues from Woodward’s Aerospace business are expected to improve in the upcoming quarters, driven by strength in the commercial aftermarket as well as higher defense activity, despite supply-chain challenges. In the first quarter of fiscal 2025, net sales for the segment were up 7% year over year, despite the negative impact from the Boeing work stoppage. Defense OEM and defense aftermarket sales were up 21% and 8%, respectively, year over year. Commercial aftermarket sales increased 19%, attributed to robust passenger traffic and higher legacy aircraft utilization. Geopolitical developments have been driving demand for defense products and the company expects strong growth across its defense portfolio in 2025, including a considerable increase in smart defense spending. For fiscal 2025, Aerospace segment revenues are anticipated to increase in the range of 6-13%, whereas segment earnings (as a percentage of revenues) are expected to be 20-21%.Woodward’s Industrial business segment has been gaining from solid demand for power generation and continued requirement for primary and backup power for data centers. Higher investment in gas-powered generation to support grid stability is another tailwind. Increasing demand for alternative fuels across the marine industry, as well as momentum in the global marine market brought on by higher utilization, bodes well. Within oil and gas, an encouraging investment outlook in China, the Middle East and India’s refining and petrochemical activities are other growth drivers. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchWoodward has been investing significantly in upgrading technologies to secure fresh businesses. It is spending on new manufacturing units and automation equipment to perk up efficiency as the company intends to accelerate production. At the Rockford facility, Woodward noted that the installation of advanced automation, including cobots (collaborative robots), has improved operational efficiency. In fiscal 2024, Woodward completed a $55 million, multi-year transformation of the Aerospace Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility in Loves Park, IL, to meet Commercial aftermarket opportunities.Volatile China on-highway, supply-chain challenges in Aerospace and prevailing weakness over global macroeconomic conditions remain overhangs. Management continues to expect full-year revenues from China’s on-highway natural-gas trucks to be $40 million, indicating a significant decline of $175 million from fiscal 2024. Also, within oil & gas, soaring domestic production levels in the United States were not translating into upstream service growth due to low commodity pricing. Owing to these factors, Industrial segment revenues are expected to decline in the band of 7-11%.WWD Trades at a DiscountThe WWD stock is trading at a discount, with a forward 12-month Price/Earnings of 28.15X compared with the industry’s 36.28X, making it an attractive investment opportunity.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchWWD’s Strong Capital Deployment StrategyThe company’s strong capital-allocation policy bodes well as this enables it to fund strategic initiatives like innovation and acquisitions, and boost capital returns. During fiscal 2024, the company returned $449 million to its shareholders in the form of $58 million of dividends and $391 million of share repurchases. In the last reported quarter, Woodward returned $50 million to its shareholders in the form of $15 million of dividends and $35 million worth of share repurchases. Woodward also hiked its quarterly dividend by 12% to 28 cents per share. The company approved a new three-year stock repurchase program in January 2024, allowing it to buy back up to $600 million worth of stock through open market or private transactions through 2027. This program replaces the prior two-year $800 million repurchase program, initiated in January 2022, during which the company repurchased around $572 million worth of stock.Is it a Good Time to Invest in the WWD Stock?WWD’s momentum in Aerospace and core Industrial segments, along with discounted valuation and shareholder returns, make it an attractive investment for the long term.WWD currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks worth consideration from the broader aerospace sector are AAR Corp. AIR, Leonardo DRS, Inc. DRS and Mercury Systems, Inc. MRCY. AIR presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while DRS and MRCY carry a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AIR’s fiscal 2025 EPS is pegged at $3.77, unchanged in the past seven days. AIR’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 3.9%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DRS’ 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.09 per share, improved 2 cents in the past seven days. DRS’ earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 22.8%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MRCY’s fiscal 2025 EPS is pegged at 39 cents, improved 3 cents in the past seven days. MRCY’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing on one occasion, with the average surprise being 168.38%. 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.3% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AAR Corp. (AIR): Free Stock Analysis Report Woodward, Inc. (WWD): Free Stock Analysis Report Mercury Systems Inc (MRCY): Free Stock Analysis Report Leonardo DRS, Inc. (DRS): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks