Zacks Research Downgrades Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) to Strong Sell

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on WHR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Whirlpool from $78.00 to $76.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $75.00 to $68.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Whirlpool from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $84.43.

Whirlpool Price Performance

WHR stock opened at $58.30 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $79.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $78.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The stock has a market cap of $3.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.32, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.27. Whirlpool has a fifty-two week low of $56.33 and a fifty-two week high of $111.96.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.54 by ($0.44). The company had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.27 billion. Whirlpool had a return on equity of 12.98% and a net margin of 2.04%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.57 EPS. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.000-7.000 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Whirlpool will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the second quarter worth about $71,595,000. Curi Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Whirlpool during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $57,699,000. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. lifted its position in Whirlpool by 357.2% during the 2nd quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. now owns 533,655 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,123,000 after acquiring an additional 416,945 shares during the period. Freestone Grove Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Whirlpool in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $22,729,000. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 2,795.1% during the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 234,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $23,789,000 after purchasing an additional 226,462 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.78% of the company’s stock.

About Whirlpool

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.