Zacks Research Downgrades Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) to Hold

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Whirlpool from $107.00 to $93.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Whirlpool from $78.00 to $76.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Whirlpool in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Whirlpool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $82.00 to $75.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Whirlpool currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $85.43.

Whirlpool Price Performance

Shares of WHR opened at $91.59 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.76. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $79.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $80.37. Whirlpool has a fifty-two week low of $65.35 and a fifty-two week high of $111.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.14 billion, a PE ratio of 16.19, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.25.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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). The business had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.27 billion. Whirlpool had a net margin of 2.04% and a return on equity of 12.98%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.57 earnings per share. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.000-7.000 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Whirlpool will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Whirlpool

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 2,119.5% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 52,004 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,088,000 after buying an additional 49,661 shares during the last quarter. Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC raised its stake in Whirlpool by 30.4% in the 2nd quarter. Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC now owns 77,273 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,837,000 after acquiring an additional 18,000 shares during the last quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC raised 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 acquiring an additional 112,579 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Whirlpool by 4.7% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,221,838 shares of the company’s stock worth $124,189,000 after acquiring an additional 54,584 shares during the period. Finally, Curi Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Whirlpool during the 2nd quarter valued at about $57,699,000. 90.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.