Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) saw unusually-high trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 3,888,212 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 108% from the previous session’s volume of 1,870,433 shares.The stock last traded at $71.5760 and had previously closed at $71.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on WHR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $78.00 to $76.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Whirlpool from $82.00 to $75.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Whirlpool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Whirlpool from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Whirlpool from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $85.43.

Whirlpool Trading Down 0.8%

The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $81.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $80.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.25.

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

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio is 63.72%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Whirlpool in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Whirlpool by 172.0% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 389 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Whirlpool during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Whirlpool by 129.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 369 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its position in Whirlpool by 113.4% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Whirlpool Company Profile

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.