Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Upgraded to Hold at Zacks Research

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

WHR has been the subject of several other research reports. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $43.00 to $36.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. BNP Paribas Exane began coverage on shares of Whirlpool in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Whirlpool from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Whirlpool in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $46.88.

Whirlpool Price Performance

NYSE WHR opened at $43.18 on Thursday. Whirlpool has a 12 month low of $35.45 and a 12 month high of $96.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.82 billion, a PE ratio of 14.79, a P/E/G ratio of 19.11 and a beta of 1.16. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $39.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $54.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.48.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported ($0.21) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.15). Whirlpool had a net margin of 1.17% and a return on equity of 4.18%. The firm had revenue of $3.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.55 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.34 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.500-3.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Whirlpool will post 2.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. RWWM Inc. lifted its position in shares of Whirlpool by 191.6% in the first quarter. RWWM Inc. now owns 2,422,618 shares of the company’s stock worth $130,628,000 after purchasing an additional 1,591,849 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Whirlpool in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,959,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool in the second quarter worth $15,006,000. Freestone Grove Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the fourth quarter worth $22,729,000. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC grew its stake in Whirlpool by 2,795.1% in the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 234,564 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,789,000 after purchasing an additional 226,462 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.