Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Downgraded to "Hold" Rating by Loop Capital

Key Points

• Loop Capital has reiterated a "hold" rating on Whirlpool (WHR) with a target price of $88.00, suggesting a potential upside of 5.98% from its previous close.
• The stock has received mixed ratings from analysts: three rates a "sell," two a "hold," and two a "buy," with a current consensus target price of $98.83.
• Whirlpool recently reported earnings of $1.34 per share, missing estimates and showing a 5.4% revenue decline compared to the same quarter last year.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Loop Capital from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Monday, Marketbeat reports. They presently have a $88.00 price objective on the stock. Loop Capital's price objective points to a potential upside of 3.82% from the stock's current price.

WHR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Bank of America reissued an "underperform" rating and issued a $70.00 price target (down from $100.00) on shares of Whirlpool in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Longbow Research raised shares of Whirlpool from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $145.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, June 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Whirlpool from $109.00 to $89.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Whirlpool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $98.83.

Whirlpool Stock Performance

WHR stock traded up $1.66 during trading on Monday, hitting $84.76. 587,502 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,354,841. 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 has a 52 week low of $73.72 and a 52 week high of $135.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $93.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $93.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -31.94 and a beta of 1.17.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR - Get Free Report) last released its 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 negative net margin of 0.95% and a positive return on equity of 20.81%. The business had revenue of $3.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.88 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.39 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Whirlpool will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its position 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 purchasing an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Cheviot Value Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Ransom Advisory Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 1st quarter worth approximately $38,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of Whirlpool by 40.4% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Anderson Financial Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.78% of the company's stock.

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.