Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Reaches New 52-Week Low After Analyst Downgrade

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Monday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $76.00 to $59.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Whirlpool traded as low as $56.01 and last traded at $56.3160, with a volume of 1207836 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $57.49.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Whirlpool from $75.00 to $68.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Whirlpool from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Whirlpool from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $82.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Causeway Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Whirlpool by 42.3% during the third quarter. Causeway Capital Management LLC now owns 617,039 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,499,000 after buying an additional 183,496 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Whirlpool by 2,119.5% during the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 52,004 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,088,000 after acquiring an additional 49,661 shares during the period. Newport Trust Company LLC lifted its stake in Whirlpool by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC now owns 2,169,688 shares of the company’s stock worth $170,537,000 after purchasing an additional 112,579 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Whirlpool by 34.0% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 401,640 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,569,000 after purchasing an additional 101,962 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Whirlpool by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,221,838 shares of the company’s stock valued at $124,189,000 after purchasing an additional 54,584 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.78% of the company’s stock.

Whirlpool Trading Down 1.8%

The stock has a market cap of $3.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.99, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.27. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $78.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $77.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.40.

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

Whirlpool Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. Whirlpool’s payout ratio is presently 63.72%.

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.