Zacks Research Upgrades Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) to Strong-Buy

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Whirlpool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Whirlpool from $80.00 to $69.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $107.00 to $93.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Whirlpool in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of Whirlpool in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $86.43.

Whirlpool Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of WHR traded down $0.38 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $84.88. 94,216 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,067,689. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.77 billion, a PE ratio of -25.31 and a beta of 1.24. Whirlpool has a 1-year low of $65.35 and a 1-year high of $135.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33. The business has a fifty day moving average of $74.86 and a 200-day moving average of $82.90.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 27th. The company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.68. The business had revenue of $4.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.92 billion. Whirlpool had a positive return on equity of 19.49% and a negative net margin of 1.18%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.43 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Whirlpool will post 9.52 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Whirlpool

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Whirlpool by 129.2% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 369 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Whirlpool by 1,444.4% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 556 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 520 shares in the last quarter. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Whirlpool in the 2nd quarter valued at about $51,000. Bogart Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Whirlpool by 80.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 511 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 315.6% during the second quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 561 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 426 shares during the period. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.