Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Shares Gap Up – Should You Buy?

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday. The stock had previously closed at $26.46, but opened at $27.38. Whirlpool shares last traded at $27.6750, with a volume of 362,298 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on WHR shares. Longbow Research reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Whirlpool in a research report on Monday. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on Whirlpool in a report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Whirlpool from $32.00 to $22.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Whirlpool in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Whirlpool in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $36.44.

Whirlpool Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 24.92 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $34.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $40.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.15). The company had revenue of $3.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.55 billion. Whirlpool had a return on equity of 4.18% and a net margin of 1.17%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.34 EPS. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.500-3.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Whirlpool Corporation will post 1.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WHR. Primecap Management Co. CA acquired a new stake in Whirlpool in the second quarter valued at approximately $141,801,000. RWWM Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 191.6% during the first quarter. RWWM Inc. now owns 2,422,618 shares of the company’s stock valued at $130,628,000 after buying an additional 1,591,849 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the second quarter valued at about $61,003,000. Nykredit A S bought a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the second quarter worth about $51,953,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the second quarter worth about $24,601,000. Institutional investors own 90.78% of the company’s stock.

About Whirlpool

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a global manufacturer and marketer of home appliances. The company develops products designed for kitchens and laundry rooms, including refrigerators and freezers, cooking appliances, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, and related household appliances.

Whirlpool sells products under a portfolio of well-known brands, including Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, JennAir and Amana. Its products are distributed through retailers, builders, distributors and other sales channels to residential customers in North America and international markets.

The company traces its history to 1911, when it was founded as the Upton Machine Company in Benton Harbor, Michigan.