Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

Key Points

• Whirlpool's short interest fell by 14.2% to 10,907,616 shares as of March 31, equal to about 19.7% of shares short and a short-interest ratio of 4.3 days.
• The company missed quarterly estimates, reporting $1.10 EPS vs. $1.54 expected and $4.10B in revenue vs. $4.27B expected, and set FY2026 guidance at $7.00 EPS versus analysts' consensus of $9.52.
• Whirlpool pays a quarterly dividend of $0.90 ($3.60 annual), yielding about 6.2% with a payout ratio near 63.7%.

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 10,907,616 shares, a drop of 14.2% from the March 15th total of 12,713,778 shares. Approximately 19.7% of the company's shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 2,561,294 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.3 days.

Whirlpool Stock Up 3.0%

WHR traded up $1.69 during trading on Friday, reaching $57.68. 1,107,466 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,484,683. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $64.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $72.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.40. Whirlpool has a fifty-two week low of $50.41 and a fifty-two week high of $111.96. The stock has a market cap of $3.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.30.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by ($0.44). The firm had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.27 billion. Whirlpool had a return on equity of 12.98% and a net margin of 2.04%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.57 earnings per share. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.000-7.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Whirlpool will post 9.52 EPS for the current year.

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $0.90 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. Whirlpool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.72%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Whirlpool

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WHR. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in Whirlpool by 96.0% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 101,907 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,352,000 after purchasing an additional 49,903 shares during the last quarter. Causeway Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Whirlpool by 42.3% in the 3rd quarter. Causeway Capital Management LLC now owns 617,039 shares of the company's stock valued at $48,499,000 after buying an additional 183,496 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 34.0% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 401,640 shares of the company's stock worth $31,569,000 after acquiring an additional 101,962 shares during the period. Newport Trust Company LLC lifted its position in Whirlpool by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC now owns 2,169,688 shares of the company's stock worth $170,537,000 after acquiring an additional 112,579 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versor Investments LP bought a new stake in Whirlpool during the third quarter valued at about $894,000. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WHR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered shares of Whirlpool from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Raymond James Financial restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Whirlpool in a report on Monday, March 16th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Whirlpool to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Weiss Ratings raised Whirlpool from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Whirlpool from $75.00 to $68.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $82.00.

Whirlpool Company Profile

Whirlpool Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of home appliances, with a product portfolio that spans major categories such as laundry, refrigeration, cooking, dishwashing and small electrics. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the company designs, produces and distributes its appliances through a network of wholly owned manufacturing facilities, joint ventures and third-party partners. Whirlpool serves both retail and professional markets, offering products under its flagship Whirlpool brand as well as several well-known names including Maytag, KitchenAid, JennAir, Amana, Brastemp and Consul.

In its laundry segment, Whirlpool provides top- and front-load washing machines, dryers and combination units designed to balance energy efficiency, capacity and convenience.

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