Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR – Get Rating) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the eight research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $202.57.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on WHR shares. StockNews.com started coverage on Whirlpool in a report on Thursday, March 31st. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group assumed coverage on Whirlpool in a research note on Tuesday, April 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $180.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Investment Research cut Whirlpool from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $198.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, March 30th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Whirlpool from $190.00 to $195.00 in a research note on Friday, January 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Whirlpool from $221.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 20th.

NYSE:WHR opened at $171.82 on Friday. Whirlpool has a 52 week low of $164.52 and a 52 week high of $245.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 1.08. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $181.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $204.57. The company has a market capitalization of $9.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.55.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR – Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 25th. The company reported $5.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.79 by $0.52. The firm had revenue of $4.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.30 billion. Whirlpool had a return on equity of 30.56% and a net margin of 7.72%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $7.20 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Whirlpool will post 24.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 20th will be given a dividend of $1.75 per share. This represents a $7.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.07%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 19th. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.03%.

Whirlpool declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, February 14th that allows the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 16.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WHR. Ellevest Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 1,020.0% during the 4th quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 112 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Bivin & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Concord Wealth Partners acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 96.2% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 204 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 97.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Whirlpool (Get Rating)

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

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