Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) Receives $112.80 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the five ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $112.80.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on WHR shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Whirlpool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Whirlpool from $103.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $76.00 to $74.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Whirlpool from $101.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Whirlpool from $125.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th.

Whirlpool Price Performance

WHR stock traded up $1.20 during trading on Friday, reaching $130.07. 631,779 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 497,212. The company has a market capitalization of $7.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.83 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The company has a 50-day moving average of $116.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $106.86. Whirlpool has a twelve month low of $84.18 and a twelve month high of $130.85.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Whirlpool

In other Whirlpool news, CFO James W. Peters sold 6,000 shares of the business's 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 sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 41,570 shares in the company, 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 filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.05% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Whirlpool by 323.1% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 275 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in Whirlpool in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Whirlpool during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Whirlpool by 56.4% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 319 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 545.5% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 355 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.