Snapshot: Where Whirlpool Corporation Stock Stands Today
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is ending 2025 looking more like a turnaround story than the steady dividend stalwart many investors once assumed it to be.
As of December 11, 2025, Whirlpool shares are trading around $78–$79, with the last official close at $78.10 and an intraday range roughly between $74.84 and $78.39. [1] The stock’s 52‑week range is wide, from about $65.35 at the low end to $135.49 at the high, underscoring just how volatile this year has been. [2]
Year-to-date, Whirlpool stock has dropped about 30–32% from roughly $114.48 at the start of 2025, and total return over the last 12 months is deeply negative. [3] The company’s market capitalization is now about $4.3–4.4 billion, a fraction of what many investors might remember from earlier in the decade. [4]
Despite the price damage, Whirlpool still offers a hefty dividend yield of roughly 4.6%, based on a quarterly payout of $0.90 per share (annual $3.60) and the current share price. [5] But that attractive yield comes after a near 50% dividend cut in 2025, a key signal that the company no longer considers itself a pure “income stock.” [6]
On December 11, 2025, the immediate story around Whirlpool stock is a mix of:
- Fresh institutional buying, including new positions and increased stakes filed today. [7]
- A bruised but stabilizing fundamental picture, after a year of margin pressure, weak free cash flow, and restructuring. [8]
- Conflicted forecasts, with Wall Street analysts broadly cautious, while some quants and value-oriented investors see room for upside. [9]
Today’s News: Big Institutions Add to Whirlpool
Two of the most prominent Whirlpool headlines dated December 11, 2025 come from institutional ownership disclosures:
- Nebula Research & Development LLC reported a new position of 29,671 Whirlpool shares, worth about $3.0 million, representing roughly 0.05% of the company. [10]
- Federated Hermes Inc. disclosed that it boosted its Whirlpool stake by 49.4% in Q2, bringing its holdings to 166,133 shares, or about 0.30% of the company. [11]
MarketBeat’s ownership data shows that around 90–91% of Whirlpool’s float is now held by institutions and hedge funds, underlining how heavily “professional money” dominates the shareholder base. [12]
These filings follow a much larger move earlier this quarter: David Tepper’s Appaloosa Capital increased its Whirlpool stake to about 9.8%, owning roughly 5.5 million shares after buying into a sharp sell‑off that had pushed the stock down about 40% from July levels. [13]
In other words, as of mid‑December:
- Cautious analysts and weak recent returns are pulling sentiment down.
- Deep‑pocketed value and event‑driven investors are leaning in and adding exposure.
That tension is central to the Whirlpool stock story right now.
Earnings Check: Modest Growth, Compressed Margins
Q3 2025 Results
Whirlpool’s third-quarter 2025 results (reported October 27) were a mix of slight growth and deteriorating margins: [14]
- Net sales: $4.03 billion, up 1.0% year over year.
- GAAP net earnings: $73 million, down 33% from $109 million a year earlier.
- GAAP EPS: $1.29 vs. $2.00 in Q3 2024.
- Ongoing EPS (non‑GAAP): $2.09 vs. $3.43 (down ~39%).
- GAAP net margin: 1.8% (down from 2.7%).
- Ongoing EBIT margin: 4.5% (down from 5.8%).
- Free cash flow: roughly –$907 million, substantially worse than the prior‑year –$586 million.
Management highlighted three big pressures: inventory “pre‑loading” from Asian competitors ahead of tariffs, promotional intensity in a weak demand environment, and continued macro headwinds in Latin America and parts of Asia. [15]
By region in Q3 2025: [16]
- North America (MDA): Net sales up 2.8%, but EBIT margin fell sharply as heavy promotions and foreign competitor inventory weighed on pricing.
- Latin America: Sales down mid‑single digits; margins hit by macro stress in Argentina and adverse price/mix.
- Asia: Sales down ~7%; margins lower despite cost actions.
- Small Domestic Appliances (SDA Global): One bright spot, with ~10%+ sales growth and improving margins, driven by new products and direct‑to‑consumer growth.
Updated 2025 Guidance
After Q3, Whirlpool narrowed and adjusted its full‑year 2025 outlook: [17]
- Net sales: About $15.8 billion, roughly flat versus like‑for‑like 2024.
- GAAP EPS: ~$6.00.
- Ongoing EPS: ~$7.00 (down from earlier guidance of up to $8).
- Free cash flow: cut to about $200 million, down from an earlier target around $400 million.
- Ongoing EBIT margin: ~5.0%, versus 5.7% like‑for‑like in 2024.
Q2 2025 had already signaled that industry demand would be flat to down and that free cash flow would be under pressure, even as Whirlpool managed to hold global EBIT margins around 5.3%. [18]
Industry Backdrop: Flat Appliance Market and Tariff Cross‑Currents
Whirlpool has been explicit that 2025 is a tough year for major domestic appliances:
- Management expects the global appliance market to be “flat to down” in 2025, with a recovery pushed back into 2026 as high interest rates delay housing turnover. [19]
- The company estimates a 3–4 million unit housing shortfall in the U.S., which should support multi‑year appliance replacement and new‑build demand once mortgage rates ease and construction picks up. [20]
On top of weak demand, trade policy remains a double‑edged sword:
- Whirlpool expects about $225 million of tariff headwinds despite its heavy U.S. manufacturing footprint. [21]
- Asian competitors have been “pre‑loading” imports ahead of tariffs, flooding the market and intensifying promotions, especially in the U.S. and Latin America. [22]
Whirlpool believes that, longer term, it will be a net beneficiary of tariffs due to its domestic production base—but in the near term, the transition is messy and margin‑dilutive. [23]
Strategic Response: Cost Takeouts and a $300 Million U.S. Manufacturing Bet
To defend margins and reposition the business, Whirlpool is executing a multiyear cost and footprint plan:
- The company achieved about $300 million of cost takeouts in 2024, and is on track for an additional $200 million in 2025, according to both management commentary and independent credit research. [24]
- Cost reductions include product complexity reduction, supply chain efficiencies, and restructuring tied to portfolio actions like the Europe divestiture.
The most visible strategic move in 2025 is Whirlpool’s $300 million investment in U.S. laundry manufacturing:
- Announced on October 15, 2025, the company will invest $300 million in its Clyde and Marion, Ohio laundry facilities. [25]
- The project is expected to create 400–600 new direct jobs and support roughly 5,000 additional jobs in the broader supply chain, while enabling production of next‑generation washers and dryers. [26]
- CEO Marc Bitzer described U.S. manufacturing as a “cornerstone” of Whirlpool’s identity and framed the expansion as both a capacity and competitiveness play in a tariff‑heavy world. [27]
This expansion dovetails with Whirlpool’s message to investors: lean more into domestic manufacturing, automate aggressively, strip out costs and ride the eventual housing and tariff tailwinds.
Balance Sheet, Dividend Reset and Valuation
Leverage and Financial Health
On traditional balance sheet metrics, Whirlpool is not in crisis—but it is not comfortable either:
- Debt‑to‑equity ratio: about 2.3x. [28]
- Current ratio: ~0.86; quick ratio: ~0.47, indicating relatively tight short‑term liquidity. [29]
- trailing‑twelve‑month net margin: roughly –1.2%, with net income of about –$183 to –$323 million, depending on the data provider and trailing window. [30]
GuruFocus flags Whirlpool’s Altman Z‑Score around 1.2, which sits in what it categorizes as the “distress zone,” and notes elevated leverage and negative ROE on a trailing basis. [31] Credit‑oriented research (e.g., Martini.ai) similarly highlights weakened profitability and higher leverage, even as cost‑takeout programs attempt to stabilize metrics. [32]
Dividend Reset
Whirlpool’s dividend used to be part of its blue‑chip appeal. That story changed in 2025:
- The company cut its quarterly dividend from $1.75 to $0.90, a reduction of roughly 48–49%, to preserve cash and support deleveraging. [33]
- As of Q3 2025, the board declared a $0.90 quarterly dividend, payable December 15, 2025 to holders of record as of November 21. [34]
- At ~$78 per share, that payout equates to an annual yield of about 4.6%, but the payout ratio is negative on trailing GAAP earnings, and only modestly covered by expected free cash flow. [35]
RBC Capital explicitly framed the dividend cut and guidance reset as “the right thing”, but warned that it does not by itself make the valuation compelling, given ongoing free cash flow misses and rising leverage. [36]
Valuation
On valuation, Whirlpool looks optically cheap but fundamentally constrained:
- Price‑to‑sales: around 0.25–0.28, near decade‑low levels. [37]
- Price‑to‑book: roughly 1.5–1.8, below its five‑year average P/B of about 2.6. [38]
- Forward P/E: roughly 8–9x based on consensus 2026 earnings, versus trailing earnings that are negative. [39]
GuruFocus and other value‑screening platforms argue that these multiples suggest potential undervaluation, but they also emphasize substantial financial risk—particularly leverage and volatility. [40]
Wall Street and Quant Models: What the Forecasts Say
Analyst Ratings and Price Targets
Across traditional Wall Street coverage, Whirlpool is squarely in “show me” territory:
- MarketBeat tracks 9 analysts with a consensus rating of “Reduce” (between Sell and Hold) and an average 12‑month price target of $86.43, implying about 10–11% upside from current levels. [41]
- The target range is wide: from $51 at the low end to $145 at the high, reflecting sharply divided views on the turnaround. [42]
- StockAnalysis, which tracks a subset of 7 analysts, labels the consensus as “Hold” but with the same $86.43 average target and $51–$145 range. [43]
Recent notable moves:
- RBC Capital: Maintains an Underperform rating and previously cut its target from $65 to $63 in July, citing weak core operations, free cash flow shortfalls, and limited near‑term catalysts. [44] Forecast tables now show RBC’s target further reduced to $51, among the Street’s most bearish views. [45]
- Bank of America: Recently lowered its Whirlpool target from $70 to $60 and kept an Underperform rating after the company’s latest results. [46]
- Stifel: Cut its target from $80 to $69 while rating the stock Hold. [47]
- Goldman Sachs: Remains relatively constructive with a “Strong Buy” label and a target trimmed from $107 to $93, implying meaningful upside if the turnaround works. [48]
In aggregate, analysts are saying: the shares might be somewhat undervalued, but the risk profile keeps most houses neutral to negative.
Narrative Research: “Worst May Be Over” vs. “Few Catalysts”
A high‑profile analysis syndicated via MarketBeat and Investing.com in November argued that Whirlpool’s downtrend looks extremely oversold, pointing to: [49]
- Heavy institutional accumulation, especially by Appaloosa.
- Oversold technical readings around long‑term support levels.
- Expectations for tariff headwinds to ease in 2026 and for housing to benefit from eventual interest‑rate cuts.
- Forecasts that 2026 earnings could grow ~8% even if revenue stays roughly flat, with a more visible recovery in 2027 and beyond.
Their conclusion: downside may be limited, and upside could be 25% or more if margin improvement materializes. [50]
On the other side, RBC and BofA stress: [51]
- Persistent demand weakness and promotional pressure.
- Ongoing free cash flow misses relative to guidance.
- High leverage and a still‑difficult cash‑flow outlook even after the dividend cut.
- “Few catalysts” for rapid recovery in volume, pricing or share.
Quant and Technical Models
Short‑term algorithmic forecasts are, unsurprisingly, all over the map:
- StockInvest.us currently labels Whirlpool a “Hold/Accumulate”, noting elevated volatility and a broad intraday trading band. It estimates a “fair” opening price around $77.12 for December 11 and a potential daily move of roughly ±3–4% based on recent volatility. [52]
- CoinCodex projects a slight near‑term dip, with short‑term technical models pointing to prices in the mid‑$70s, but its December 2025 average price estimate of $78.61 implies only a modest 4–5% annualized gain from current levels. Longer‑term (2025–2030) projections also show subdued, channel‑like growth. [53]
- At the far bullish end, some AI‑driven forecast sites suggest 30‑day or 12‑month “fair value” targets more than 100% above current levels, but these are purely model‑driven, not fundamental research, and should be treated with caution. [54]
The pattern: human analysts are cautious with moderate upside; some quants see a trading range; a few AI models swing for the fences.
India Overhang: Advent Deal Collapses, Deleveraging Questioned
Another key development heading into December 11 is the collapse of Whirlpool’s planned India stake sale.
- Whirlpool Corp had been in advanced talks to sell 31% of Whirlpool of India to Advent International for about $1 billion, which would have cut the parent’s stake from 51% to 20% and triggered a mandatory open offer for a majority holding. [55]
- The deal fell apart over valuation disagreements, with Advent reportedly pushing for a lower price, citing regulatory pressure and intense competition from LG and Samsung, while Whirlpool focused on maximizing proceeds to reduce debt. [56]
- Whirlpool of India’s revenue has been growing (around 16% in the last fiscal year), but its share price is down nearly 47% year‑to‑date, compounding the valuation conflict. [57]
On Whirlpool’s Q2 call, management had signaled that the India transaction was expected to close around year‑end, and guidance baselines were already adjusted to exclude those operations. [58] The collapse of the Advent deal raises questions about:
- How quickly Whirlpool can monetize non‑core assets to deleverage.
- Whether a new buyer will emerge, or the transaction will be restructured at a lower price.
For equity investors, the India saga is both a risk (uncertain cash proceeds) and an option (potential upside if a better‑than‑feared deal eventually materializes).
Long‑Term Return Profile: A Lost Decade (So Far)
Total‑return data paints a sobering picture:
- YTD total return: roughly –29%.
- 12‑month total return: about –25–30%, depending on data source and whether dividends are included. [59]
- 5‑year total return: around –48%, meaning $1,000 invested five years ago would be worth roughly $520–$550 today. [60]
- 10‑year total return: negative as well, with annualized returns of roughly –3–4%. [61]
Trefis’ decomposition of Whirlpool’s price decline shows that the ~33% share‑price drop from December 2024 to December 2025 is driven mostly by:
- Revenue contraction (linked to divestitures and weaker volumes).
- Multiple compression, with the price‑to‑sales ratio falling from about 0.37 to 0.28. [62]
In short: the stock is cheaper because the business is smaller, less profitable, and viewed as riskier.
Bull and Bear Cases as of December 11, 2025
The Bull Case
Supporters of Whirlpool Corporation stock today generally lean on the following points:
- Deep value setup: P/S and P/B ratios near multi‑year lows, with a forward P/E in the single digits if management can deliver on 2026–2027 earnings forecasts. [63]
- Tariff and reshoring tailwind: Whirlpool is one of the few major appliance makers with a predominantly U.S. manufacturing base, which could benefit as tariffs bite foreign competitors and as its $300 million Ohio laundry investment ramps. [64]
- Housing leverage: A multi‑million unit U.S. housing shortfall and eventual rate cuts could drive multi‑year replacement and new‑build demand for appliances starting in 2026. [65]
- Strong institutional sponsorship: Appaloosa’s near‑10% stake, combined with fresh buying from Nebula and Federated Hermes, suggests that sophisticated investors see a favorable risk/reward at current prices. [66]
- Cost discipline and product refresh: Hundreds of millions in cost takeouts, plus the largest product refresh in more than a decade, could support margin repair once the market stabilizes. [67]
The Bear Case
Skeptics, including firms like RBC and BofA, focus on a different set of facts: [68]
- High leverage and weak free cash flow, even after a nearly 50% dividend cut and cost reductions.
- Negative trailing net margin and continued earnings volatility, with Q3 free cash flow sharply negative and full‑year FCF guidance halved.
- Structurally challenged demand in a flat‑to‑down appliance market, exacerbated by aggressive competitors and promotional intensity.
- Execution risk around tariffs, India divestitures, and large U.S. capex projects.
- Limited near‑term catalysts, given that management itself has pushed meaningful recovery expectations into 2026 and beyond.
From this perspective, Whirlpool is cheap for good reasons, and the equity remains a high‑risk cyclical tied to macro forces that neither management nor investors can fully control.
Bottom Line: What December 11, 2025 Means for WHR Stock
As of December 11, 2025, Whirlpool Corporation stock sits at the intersection of deep value, real balance‑sheet risk, and a macro story that may take years to resolve:
- Price and performance: The stock trades around $78, down roughly one‑third year‑to‑date and nearly 40% off its 52‑week high, yet above the panic lows seen earlier in the year. [69]
- Fundamentals: Q3 showed small revenue growth but weaker margins and negative free cash flow; guidance implies only modest improvement in 2025, with most of the hoped‑for recovery pushed into 2026–2027. [70]
- Institutional and analyst stance: Big funds are building positions, but the Street’s consensus rating is “Reduce” to “Hold”, with price targets clustered just 10–15% above today’s price and a wide dispersion between the most bullish and most bearish houses. [71]
- Risk profile: High leverage, negative trailing margins, and a collapsed India stake sale keep Whirlpool firmly in the turnaround, not compounder, camp. [72]
For investors, Whirlpool now resembles a leveraged bet on a 2026+ recovery in housing, tariffs and consumer durables, supported by cost cuts and reshoring, but constrained by debt and a long history of underwhelming returns.
Nothing in the current data suggests an easy, low‑risk path back to its prior highs—but for those comfortable with cyclical risk and balance‑sheet complexity, December 11, 2025 marks Whirlpool as one of the more closely watched deep‑value names in the consumer durables space.
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