Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Sets New 1-Year Low at $95.21

Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR)’s share price hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $95.21 and last traded at $96.20, with a volume of 1840550 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $105.68.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on WHR. Loop Capital began coverage on Whirlpool in a research note on Thursday, February 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Whirlpool from $120.00 to $111.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on Whirlpool from $85.00 to $79.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. StockNews.com downgraded Whirlpool from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Whirlpool from a “d+” rating to a “c+” rating in a research note on Monday, January 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Whirlpool presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $113.40.

Whirlpool Stock Down 0.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.56, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $109.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $112.79. The stock has a market cap of $5.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.03 and a beta of 1.48.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $1.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $4.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.42 billion. Whirlpool had a return on equity of 35.16% and a net margin of 2.07%. The business’s revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.66 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Whirlpool Co. will post 13.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 15th. Stockholders 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 7.40%. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio is presently 96.42%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Whirlpool

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Whirlpool by 160.0% during the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 221 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of Whirlpool by 190.7% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 185 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Whirlpool in the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,000. Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Whirlpool in the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Whirlpool in the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Whirlpool

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.