Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Stock Price Down 4.5%

Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR)’s stock price was down 4.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $92.46 and last traded at $92.82. Approximately 473,219 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 63% from the average daily volume of 1,273,310 shares. The stock had previously closed at $97.19.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Bank of America assumed coverage on Whirlpool in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $88.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $79.00 to $76.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $103.75.

Whirlpool Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $99.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $100.32. The firm has a market cap of $5.41 billion, a PE ratio of 13.58 and a beta of 1.44.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $2.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39. The company had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.96 billion. Whirlpool had a net margin of 2.89% and a return on equity of 27.67%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 16.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.21 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Whirlpool Co. will post 11.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a $1.75 dividend. This represents a $7.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 96.42%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Juan Carlos Puente sold 3,266 shares of Whirlpool stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $326,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,070 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,907,000. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 2.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SouthState Corp bought a new position in Whirlpool during the second quarter worth $28,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Whirlpool during the second quarter valued at $32,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd bought a new position in shares of Whirlpool in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Whirlpool by 1,010.5% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 422 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 384 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 80.6% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 428 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.