Whirlpool Corporation $WHR Stake Increased by Newport Trust Company LLC

Key Points

• Newport Trust Company LLC increased its stake in Whirlpool Corporation by 11.4%, owning 1,806,101 shares worth approximately $162.78 million as of the latest SEC filing.
• Whirlpool recently posted disappointing quarterly earnings, with a reported EPS of $1.34, missing analyst estimates and showing a 5.4% revenue decline compared to the prior year.
• The company declared a $0.90 quarterly dividend, reflecting a 4.1% yield, but has a negative payout ratio of -264.15%, indicating financial strain.

Newport Trust Company LLC increased its stake in Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR - Free Report) by 11.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,806,101 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 184,132 shares during the period. Whirlpool makes up 0.4% of Newport Trust Company LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Newport Trust Company LLC owned about 3.25% of Whirlpool worth $162,784,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of WHR. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Whirlpool in the first quarter worth approximately $82,461,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Whirlpool by 25.5% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,723,612 shares of the company's stock worth $155,343,000 after acquiring an additional 350,397 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Whirlpool by 19.8% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 1,208,741 shares of the company's stock worth $138,377,000 after acquiring an additional 199,663 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 5.6% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,235,977 shares of the company's stock valued at $201,529,000 after buying an additional 117,964 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 26.1% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 512,732 shares of the company's stock valued at $58,698,000 after buying an additional 106,259 shares during the period. 90.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Whirlpool Stock Up 6.2%

Shares of WHR traded up $5.4480 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $93.6580. 1,395,527 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,246,314. The firm has a market cap of $5.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -35.34 and a beta of 1.17. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $94.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $89.92. Whirlpool Corporation has a 12-month low of $73.72 and a 12-month high of $135.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 analysts' expectations of $3.88 billion. Whirlpool had a negative net margin of 0.95% and a positive return on equity of 20.81%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.39 EPS. Whirlpool has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.000-8.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Whirlpool Corporation will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Whirlpool Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, August 29th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. Whirlpool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -264.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on WHR shares. Longbow Research upgraded shares of Whirlpool from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, June 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Whirlpool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Bank of America restated an "underperform" rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down previously from $100.00) on shares of Whirlpool in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $109.00 to $89.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Whirlpool currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $98.83.

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.