Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd reduced its position in Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) by 23.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,625 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,946 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd’s holdings in Whirlpool were worth $1,172,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harvest Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Whirlpool by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Harvest Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,198,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Whirlpool by 4.8% during the third quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $319,000 after buying an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Edmp Inc. grew its position in shares of Whirlpool by 1.1% during the third quarter. Edmp Inc. now owns 10,231 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,368,000 after buying an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Whirlpool by 3.6% during the third quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 3,336 shares of the company’s stock worth $446,000 after buying an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in shares of Whirlpool by 0.5% during the third quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 23,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,141,000 after buying an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Whirlpool Stock Performance

Shares of WHR opened at $94.96 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53. Whirlpool Co. has a 52-week low of $92.54 and a 52-week high of $160.62. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $109.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.00. The company has a market capitalization of $5.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.08 and a beta of 1.48.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $1.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.17. Whirlpool had a return on equity of 36.24% and a net margin of 2.07%. The company had revenue of $4.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.42 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.66 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Whirlpool Co. will post 12.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Whirlpool Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 17th will be paid a $1.75 dividend. This represents a $7.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.37%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 16th. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 96.42%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WHR shares. TheStreet raised Whirlpool from a “d+” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th. StockNews.com raised Whirlpool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. Loop Capital initiated coverage on Whirlpool in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. They set a “buy” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Whirlpool from $120.00 to $111.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on Whirlpool from $92.00 to $85.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $114.60.

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.