Fmr LLC Lowers Stake in Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR)

FMR LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR - Free Report) by 19.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,149,730 shares of the company's stock after selling 283,544 shares during the period. FMR LLC owned approximately 2.09% of Whirlpool worth $123,021,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sigma Planning Corp grew its stake in Whirlpool by 6.4% during the 3rd quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 2,170 shares of the company's stock valued at $232,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Dakota Wealth Management raised its position in Whirlpool by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 7,395 shares of the company's stock worth $791,000 after buying an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its stake in Whirlpool by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,979 shares of the company's stock valued at $747,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 15,247 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,558,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verdence Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 5.1% during the third quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,565 shares of the company's stock worth $381,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Whirlpool news, CFO James W. Peters sold 6,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.48, for a total value of $626,880.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 41,570 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,343,233.60. This trade represents a 12.61 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Whirlpool Price Performance

Whirlpool stock traded down $1.00 during trading on Thursday, reaching $108.55. The company had a trading volume of 680,317 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,140,249. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.99 billion, a PE ratio of 10.71 and a beta of 1.46. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $107.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $100.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.94. Whirlpool Co. has a 1-year low of $84.18 and a 1-year high of $125.68.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $3.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.99 by $0.44. Whirlpool had a net margin of 3.19% and a return on equity of 21.41%. The firm had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.45 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 18.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Whirlpool Co. will post 12.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 15th. Investors of record on Friday, November 15th will be paid a $1.75 dividend. This represents a $7.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.45%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. Whirlpool's dividend payout ratio is currently 69.03%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America lifted their price target on Whirlpool from $101.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $103.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $76.00 to $74.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $106.50.

Whirlpool Profile

Whirlpool Corporation manufactures and markets home appliances and related products and services in the North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The company's principal products include refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, and refrigerator water filters; laundry appliances, and commercial laundry products and related laundry accessories; cooking and other small domestic appliances; and dishwasher appliances and related accessories, as well as mixers.