StockNews.com Upgrades Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) to "Hold"

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday.

WHR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $101.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $125.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on Whirlpool from $76.00 to $74.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Whirlpool from $103.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Whirlpool presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $112.80.

Whirlpool Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:WHR traded up $1.85 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $131.86. The stock had a trading volume of 616,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 863,777. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.00 and a beta of 1.44. The firm's 50 day moving average is $116.40 and its 200-day moving average is $107.07. Whirlpool has a 1 year low of $84.18 and a 1 year high of $132.09. 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 (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The company reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $5.45 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down 18.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Whirlpool will post 12.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Whirlpool

In other news, CFO James W. Peters sold 6,000 shares of Whirlpool stock in a transaction on Monday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.48, for a total value of $626,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 41,570 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,343,233.60. The trade was a 12.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.05% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Whirlpool

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WHR. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Whirlpool by 323.1% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 275 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Whirlpool by 56.4% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 319 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 545.5% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 355 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Whirlpool by 1,010.5% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 422 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 384 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.78% of the company's stock.

Whirlpool Company 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.