Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Shares Gap Down – What’s Next?

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR)’s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $83.21, but opened at $75.00. Whirlpool shares last traded at $76.6760, with a volume of 966,144 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WHR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Whirlpool from $82.00 to $75.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen raised Whirlpool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Weiss Ratings raised Whirlpool from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research lowered Whirlpool from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $78.00 to $76.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $85.43.

Whirlpool Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $4.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $81.64 and its 200-day moving average is $80.52.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The company reported $1.10 earnings per share 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 return on equity of 12.98% and a net margin of 2.04%.The company’s revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.57 EPS. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.000-7.000 EPS. Analysts predict that Whirlpool Corporation will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Whirlpool Dividend Announcement

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 given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. Whirlpool’s payout ratio is presently 63.72%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

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 during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of 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. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Whirlpool by 172.0% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 389 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Whirlpool in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Whirlpool by 113.4% in the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 527 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. 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.