Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Hits New 1-Year Low Following Analyst Downgrade

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday after Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on the stock from $45.00 to $37.00. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a hold rating on the stock. Whirlpool traded as low as $35.89 and last traded at $36.21, with a volume of 125514 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $37.14.

WHR has been the topic of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Whirlpool from $59.00 to $52.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on Whirlpool in a report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Whirlpool from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 27th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Whirlpool from $50.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on Whirlpool from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Whirlpool presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $51.22.

Whirlpool News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Whirlpool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Whirlpool announced a partnership with GrowthLoop to strengthen its direct-to-consumer strategy for KitchenAid small appliances, which could support customer engagement and longer-term digital sales growth. Whirlpool Corporation to Collaborate with GrowthLoop on Direct-to-Consumer Strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Whirlpool rescheduled its second-quarter earnings release to August 3 and its conference call to August 4, giving investors a slightly longer wait for updated guidance and results. WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION RESCHEDULES SECOND-QUARTER EARNINGS RELEASE TO AUGUST 3RD AND CONFERENCE CALL TO AUGUST 4TH
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary remained mixed, with Stifel lowering its price target to $37 from $45 while maintaining a hold rating, and other previews highlighting expectations for weaker sales and earnings but some margin recovery from pricing and cost cuts. Benzinga report on Stifel price target cut
• Negative Sentiment: Recent previews and “pessimistic forecast” coverage suggest Whirlpool’s Q2 results may show steep declines in sales and earnings, reinforcing concerns that demand remains weak ahead of the report. Whirlpool’s Q2 Earnings Coming Up: Here’s What You Should Know

Institutional Trading of Whirlpool

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WHR. Community Financial Services Group LLC increased its holdings in Whirlpool by 99.2% during the 2nd quarter. Community Financial Services Group LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 635 shares during the period. Kwmg LLC raised its position in Whirlpool by 15.3% during the 2nd quarter. Kwmg LLC now owns 77,019 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,036,000 after purchasing an additional 10,229 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Whirlpool by 719.4% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,663 shares of the company’s stock worth $105,000 after buying an additional 2,338 shares during the period. Seven Six Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Whirlpool by 32.5% in the 1st quarter. Seven Six Capital Management LLC now owns 43,150 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,327,000 after buying an additional 10,575 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kentucky Retirement Systems bought a new stake in shares of Whirlpool in the 1st quarter worth approximately $349,000. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Whirlpool Stock Down 3.9%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.31 billion, a PE ratio of 12.15, a PEG ratio of 32.16 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $39.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $57.46.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.56) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by ($0.99). The business had revenue of $3.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.44 billion. Whirlpool had a return on equity of 7.68% and a net margin of 1.08%.The business’s revenue was down 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.70 EPS. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.500 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Whirlpool Corporation will post 1.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.