Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) Stock Position Decreased by Scott & Selber Inc.

Scott & Selber Inc. cut its position in shares of Whirlpool Co. (NYSE:WHR) by 7.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,167 shares of the company’s stock after selling 802 shares during the period. Scott & Selber Inc.’s holdings in Whirlpool were worth $1,238,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Whirlpool by 160.0% during the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 221 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp acquired a new position in shares of Whirlpool during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in Whirlpool by 190.7% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Whirlpool in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Whirlpool during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.78% of the company’s stock.

Whirlpool Stock Performance

Shares of WHR traded up $0.77 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $105.44. The company had a trading volume of 1,103,339 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,278,351. The firm has a market cap of $5.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.02 and a beta of 1.48. The business has a fifty day moving average of $109.94 and a 200-day moving average of $113.46. Whirlpool Co. has a 12 month low of $98.40 and a 12 month high of $160.62. 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 (NYSE:WHR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $3.85 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.53 by $0.32. Whirlpool had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 38.67%. The company had revenue of $5.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.89 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Whirlpool Co. will post 13.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 17th will be issued a $1.75 dividend. This represents a $7.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 16th. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 80.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.