Whirlpool Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:WHR)

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Traders purchased 41,624 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 489% compared to the average volume of 7,065 put options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WHR has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $45.00 to $37.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of Whirlpool in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Whirlpool from $59.00 to $52.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Whirlpool from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, June 27th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on Whirlpool from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $46.88.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 13,194 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,338,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. Old North State Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Old North State Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,889 shares of the company’s stock worth $209,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Whirlpool by 0.3% during the third quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 52,944 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,161,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its position in Whirlpool by 3.0% during the second quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 5,150 shares of the company’s stock worth $522,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abel Hall LLC grew its holdings in Whirlpool by 1.4% in the third quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 12,044 shares of the company’s stock valued at $947,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Whirlpool Stock Performance

Whirlpool stock traded down $1.26 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $43.93. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,421,970 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,680,326. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 1.15. Whirlpool has a 12-month low of $35.45 and a 12-month high of $96.57. The company has a market capitalization of $2.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.04, a PEG ratio of 16.23 and a beta of 1.16. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $39.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $54.78.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.15). Whirlpool had a return on equity of 4.18% and a net margin of 1.17%.The company had revenue of $3.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.55 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.34 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.500-3.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Whirlpool will post 2.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.