Carillon Tower Advisers, an investment management company, released its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter for the “Carillon Eagle Small Cap Growth Fund”. You can download a copy of the letter here. Small-cap stocks delivered marginal gains in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Russell 2000® Value Index outperformed the Russell 2000® Growth Index in the quarter, with more balanced results. In line with the broader stock market, small-cap stocks delivered solid results in 2025. The Russell 2000 Growth Index returned 13.01%, outperforming the Russell 2000 Value Index’s 12.58% gain. The firm anticipates a favorable year ahead for equity markets. The letter outlined the potential opportunities within Cyclicals, Healthcare, Information Technology, Financials, and Consumer spending sectors heading to 2026. Please review the Fund’s top five holdings to gain insights into their key selections for 2025.
In its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter, Carillon Eagle Small Cap Growth Fund highlighted stocks like Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD). Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) is a leading manufacturer of control solutions for the aerospace and industrial markets. On February 17, 2026, Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) stock closed at $387.12 per share. One-month return of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) was 15.41%, and its shares are up 102.08% over the past twelve months. Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) has a market capitalization of $23.226 billion.
Carillon Eagle Small Cap Growth Fund stated the following regarding Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) in its fourth quarter 2025 investor letter:
“Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) develops and produces control systems and energy conversion solutions and components for the aerospace and industrial end markets. The stock was a steady and strong performer throughout 2025, and once again delivered an impressive quarterly report that was highlighted by particularly strong performance in its aerospace aftermarket vertical. The potential for the long-awaited increased rate of production from the large airframe original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in 2026 could provide an additional tailwind to growth. Investors also remain optimistic about the company’s increasing exposure to newer-generation aircraft that could result in a further step change in aftermarket growth in the latter half of the decade.”
Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. According to our database, 52 hedge fund portfolios held Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) at the end of the third quarter, compared to 54 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ:WWD) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
