Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Stock Sees Unusually High Put Option Buying

Key Points

• Put-option activity surged: Investors purchased 31,155 Whirlpool put options, 362% above the average volume, signaling unusually high bearish or hedging activity.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Whirlpool has a consensus “Reduce” rating, with one Buy, eight Hold, and three Sell ratings; the average price target is $45.44.
• Operating performance weakened: Shares traded near $31.56, close to the one-year low, while the latest quarter included an adjusted EPS loss of $0.21 and a 6.8% year-over-year revenue decline.

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading on Monday. Stock investors acquired 31,155 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 362% compared to the average volume of 6,739 put options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WHR shares. Zacks Research upgraded Whirlpool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Whirlpool from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Whirlpool from $42.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $38.00 to $31.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $45.44.

Whirlpool Stock Performance

Shares of WHR stock traded down $0.15 during trading on Monday, reaching $31.56. The company had a trading volume of 1,166,459 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,630,349. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $38.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $43.84. Whirlpool has a one year low of $30.30 and a one year high of $94.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The company has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a PE ratio of 10.80, a PEG ratio of 14.09 and a beta of 1.18.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported ($0.21) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.15). Whirlpool had a return on equity of 4.18% and a net margin of 1.17%.The company had revenue of $3.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.55 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.34 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.500-3.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Whirlpool will post 2.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in Whirlpool during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Silvant Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Whirlpool during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Whirlpool in the first quarter valued at about $45,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Whirlpool in the first quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. increased its stake in shares of Whirlpool by 184.0% in the first quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 926 shares of the company's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Whirlpool Company Profile

Whirlpool Corporation is a global manufacturer and marketer of home appliances. The company develops products designed for food preservation, laundry, cooking, dishwashing and other household needs, serving consumers through retail, e-commerce and builder channels.

Its product portfolio includes refrigerators and freezers, washing machines and dryers, ranges and ovens, dishwashers, microwaves and other kitchen appliances. Whirlpool markets products under brands including Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana and JennAir, with brand availability varying by market.

Founded in 1911 as the Upton Machine Company, Whirlpool is headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

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