Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Shares of Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) have been given an average rating of “Reduce” by the nine research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $86.4286.

WHR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Whirlpool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Whirlpool from $107.00 to $93.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 13th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Whirlpool from $80.00 to $69.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Zacks Research raised Whirlpool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Whirlpool in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Abel Hall LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Whirlpool in the 2nd quarter worth $1,205,000. Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 30.4% during the second quarter. Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC now owns 77,273 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,837,000 after purchasing an additional 18,000 shares in the last quarter. First City Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Whirlpool in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $409,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Whirlpool by 26.6% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 32,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,949,000 after purchasing an additional 6,873 shares during the period. Finally, Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI raised its stake in shares of Whirlpool by 51.7% during the 2nd quarter. Fishman Jay A Ltd. MI now owns 154,972 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,717,000 after buying an additional 52,825 shares in the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Whirlpool Price Performance

WHR opened at $72.11 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $73.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $84.18. Whirlpool has a 12-month low of $65.35 and a 12-month high of $135.49. The firm has a market cap of $4.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -21.46 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, October 27th. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.68. Whirlpool had a negative net margin of 1.18% and a positive return on equity of 19.49%. The company had revenue of $4.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.92 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.43 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Whirlpool will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Whirlpool Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Friday, November 21st were issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 21st. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio is -107.14%.

Whirlpool Company Profile

Whirlpool Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of home appliances, with a product portfolio that spans major categories such as laundry, refrigeration, cooking, dishwashing and small electrics. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the company designs, produces and distributes its appliances through a network of wholly owned manufacturing facilities, joint ventures and third-party partners. Whirlpool serves both retail and professional markets, offering products under its flagship Whirlpool brand as well as several well-known names including Maytag, KitchenAid, JennAir, Amana, Brastemp and Consul.

In its laundry segment, Whirlpool provides top- and front-load washing machines, dryers and combination units designed to balance energy efficiency, capacity and convenience.