Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

Shares of Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $129.78, but opened at $111.00. Whirlpool shares last traded at $108.51, with a volume of 709,756 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on WHR. Bank of America upped their target price on Whirlpool from $101.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Whirlpool from $103.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. StockNews.com raised Whirlpool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Whirlpool from $125.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of Whirlpool from $76.00 to $74.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $112.80.

Whirlpool Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $119.19 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $108.40. The firm has a market cap of $5.79 billion, a PE ratio of -17.91 and a beta of 1.44.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The company reported $4.57 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.31. Whirlpool had a negative net margin of 1.95% and a positive return on equity of 21.61%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.85 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Whirlpool Co. will post 11.43 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Whirlpool

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the 4th quarter valued at $318,000. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the fourth quarter valued at about $482,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Whirlpool by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 8,306 shares of the company’s stock valued at $900,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. Americana Partners LLC increased its stake in Whirlpool by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Americana Partners LLC now owns 9,482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,085,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 17.3% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 664 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.