Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Upgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

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

Whirlpool Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WHR opened at $85.23 on Tuesday. Whirlpool has a 1-year low of $65.35 and a 1-year high of $135.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.79 billion, a PE ratio of -25.37 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.47. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $74.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $82.90.

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

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. Whirlpool’s payout ratio is presently -107.14%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WHR. Capital Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $285,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 96.0% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 101,907 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,352,000 after buying an additional 49,903 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Whirlpool by 11.3% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,197,000 after acquiring an additional 1,526 shares during the last quarter. Weybosset Research & Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter valued at $1,265,000. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its position in Whirlpool by 16.0% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 4,897 shares of the company’s stock worth $353,000 after acquiring an additional 674 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.78% of the company’s stock.

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.