CenterBook Partners LP Buys New Stake in Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR)

Key Points

• CenterBook Partners LP has acquired a new stake in Whirlpool Corporation during the first quarter, purchasing 20,425 shares valued at approximately $1.84 million.
• Whirlpool reported earnings per share of $1.34 for the last quarter, falling short of analysts' expectations, with revenue down 5.4% year-over-year.
• Recent analyst ratings for Whirlpool include upgrades to "buy" from Longbow Research, while other firms have issued hold or sell ratings, reflecting mixed sentiments about the stock's future performance.

CenterBook Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 20,425 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,841,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in Whirlpool by 13.1% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 44,934 shares of the company's stock worth $4,022,000 after buying an additional 5,202 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter worth $34,719,000. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp grew its stake in shares of Whirlpool by 44.5% during the 1st quarter. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp now owns 11,665 shares of the company's stock worth $1,051,000 after purchasing an additional 3,595 shares during the period. Tang Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter worth $974,000. Finally, Advisors Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Whirlpool by 41.8% during the 4th quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 166,556 shares of the company's stock worth $19,067,000 after purchasing an additional 49,121 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.78% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Whirlpool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $109.00 to $89.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Longbow Research raised shares of Whirlpool from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 30th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed an "underperform" rating and set a $70.00 price target (down from $100.00) on shares of Whirlpool in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $98.83.

Whirlpool Price Performance

NYSE WHR traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $83.62. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,064,572 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,392,859. The stock has a market cap of $4.67 billion, a PE ratio of -31.55 and a beta of 1.17. Whirlpool Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $73.72 and a fifty-two week high of $135.49. The company's 50-day moving average is $93.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $92.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.85.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 28th. The company reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by ($0.20). The business had revenue of $3.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.88 billion. Whirlpool had a negative net margin of 0.95% and a positive return on equity of 20.81%. Whirlpool's revenue was down 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.39 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Whirlpool Corporation will post 9.52 EPS for the current year.

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.