Short Interest in Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) Declines By 18.2%

Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,260,000 shares, a drop of 18.2% from the June 30th total of 5,210,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,510,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.8 days. Currently, 8.0% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Whirlpool Stock Performance

Whirlpool stock traded up $2.97 on Tuesday, reaching $102.34. 1,314,287 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,386,508. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $96.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $103.36. Whirlpool has a twelve month low of $84.18 and a twelve month high of $148.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88. The stock has a market cap of $5.62 billion, a PE ratio of 13.51 and a beta of 1.44.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $2.39 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.39. Whirlpool had a net margin of 2.89% and a return on equity of 27.67%. The firm had revenue of $3.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.21 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 16.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Whirlpool will post 12 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WHR has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Whirlpool from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $79.00 to $76.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Whirlpool in a report on Tuesday. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $88.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $103.75.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Whirlpool

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. IFG Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Whirlpool by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 2,737 shares of the company’s stock worth $333,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in Whirlpool by 195.5% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 653 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 432 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Whirlpool by 37.3% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,826 shares of the company’s stock valued at $222,000 after buying an additional 496 shares in the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC bought a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter valued at $568,000. Finally, LMG Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Whirlpool by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. LMG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 23,870 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,907,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.78% of the company’s stock.

Whirlpool Company 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.