Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the five brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $114.60.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WHR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Whirlpool from $120.00 to $111.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Loop Capital started coverage on Whirlpool in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. TheStreet raised Whirlpool from a “d+” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Monday, January 29th. StockNews.com raised Whirlpool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 27th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Whirlpool from $92.00 to $85.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 31st.

Whirlpool Stock Performance

WHR opened at $105.39 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.10 and a beta of 1.48. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $109.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $113.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53. Whirlpool has a 12-month low of $98.40 and a 12-month high of $160.62.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $3.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.53 by $0.32. The firm had revenue of $5.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.98 billion. Whirlpool had a return on equity of 38.67% and a net margin of 2.47%. The company’s revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.89 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Whirlpool will post 13.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 15th. Investors of record on Friday, May 17th will be given a dividend of $1.75 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 16th. This represents a $7.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.64%. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 80.37%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Whirlpool

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its position in Whirlpool by 160.0% in the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 221 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp bought a new position in Whirlpool in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its position in Whirlpool by 190.7% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC bought a new position in Whirlpool in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the third quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors own 90.78% of the company’s stock.

Whirlpool Company Profile

Whirlpool Corporation manufactures and markets home appliances and related products and services in the North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The company's principal products include refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, and refrigerator water filters; laundry appliances, and commercial laundry products and related laundry accessories; cooking and other small domestic appliances; and dishwasher appliances and related accessories, as well as mixers.