Markel Group Inc. Lowers Position in Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR)

Markel Group Inc. decreased its stake in Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR - Free Report) by 44.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 157,619 shares of the company's stock after selling 124,430 shares during the period. Markel Group Inc. owned 0.29% of Whirlpool worth $16,865,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. FIFTHDELTA Ltd purchased a new stake in Whirlpool in the 1st quarter worth about $50,986,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 46.8% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 981,472 shares of the company's stock valued at $100,304,000 after acquiring an additional 312,729 shares during the period. RWWM Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the second quarter worth $30,174,000. Newport Trust Company LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 23.8% in the second quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC now owns 1,402,941 shares of the company's stock worth $143,381,000 after acquiring an additional 269,976 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Whirlpool by 240.9% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 375,613 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,125,000 after purchasing an additional 265,418 shares in the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Whirlpool Price Performance

Shares of WHR stock traded up $1.80 during trading on Friday, hitting $110.51. The company had a trading volume of 583,702 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,181,756. The stock's 50-day moving average is $103.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $98.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.90 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. Whirlpool Co. has a 52 week low of $84.18 and a 52 week high of $125.68.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.45 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 18.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Whirlpool Co. will post 12.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Whirlpool Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 15th will be issued a $1.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 15th. This represents a $7.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.33%. Whirlpool's payout ratio is 69.03%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Juan Carlos Puente sold 3,266 shares of Whirlpool stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $326,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 19,070 shares in the company, valued at $1,907,000. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CFO James W. Peters sold 6,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.48, for a total transaction of $626,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 41,570 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,343,233.60. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Juan Carlos Puente sold 3,266 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $326,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,070 shares in the company, valued at $1,907,000. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on WHR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Whirlpool from $103.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $76.00 to $74.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Whirlpool from $101.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $106.50.

About Whirlpool

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.