Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) Short Interest Up 169,066.7% in July

Key Points

• Whirlpool Corporation experienced a significant increase in short interest, rising to 8,120,000 shares as of July 15th, marking a growth of 169,066.7% since June 30th.
• Equities analysts have mixed views on Whirlpool's stock, with three sell ratings, one hold rating, and two buy ratings; the consensus target price is $101.00.
• Whirlpool reported a quarterly EPS of $1.34, missing analyst expectations of $1.54, and noted a 5.4% decline in year-over-year revenue with a net margin of -0.95%.

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 8,120,000 shares, anincreaseof169,066.7% from the June 30th total of 4,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,300,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.2 days. Approximately15.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately15.2% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,300,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.2 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WHR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Whirlpool from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen lowered Whirlpool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Whirlpool from $109.00 to $89.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Longbow Research upgraded Whirlpool from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, June 30th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated an "underperform" rating and issued a $70.00 price objective (down from $100.00) on shares of Whirlpool in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Whirlpool presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $101.00.

Whirlpool Price Performance

Whirlpool stock traded down $0.31 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $82.73. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,335,287 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,238,022. Whirlpool has a 52 week low of $73.72 and a 52 week high of $135.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $93.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $93.69. The stock has a market cap of $4.62 billion, a PE ratio of -31.22 and a beta of 1.17.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 28th. The company reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.54 by ($0.20). Whirlpool had a positive return on equity of 20.81% and a negative net margin of 0.95%. The firm had revenue of $3.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.39 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Whirlpool will post 9.52 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Whirlpool

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WHR. Nemes Rush Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 79.1% during the 4th quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 274 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Cheviot Value Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 120.7% during the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 320 shares of the company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 175 shares in the last quarter. Ransom Advisory Ltd bought a new position in shares of Whirlpool in the 1st quarter worth $38,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 40.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 448 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Whirlpool

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.