Whirlpool: At 5.2x P/E, Take This Company For A Spin

Cameron Smith, CFA
2.99K Followers

Summary

  • Whirlpool is trading at only 5.3x TTM P/E and is now 40.5% off 52-week highs.
  • A global footprint and strong brand name products have allowed the company to earn average ROE and ROIC of 14.6% and 10.4%, respectively, since 2010.
  • A free cash flow analysis touched on later in this article indicates free cash flow yields around 8.7% at current prices.
  • In 2019, interest coverage was 9.3x and Whirlpool finished the year with approximately $3.8 billion in available credit facilities.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) is looking like a great long-term buy now trading at only 5.3x TTM P/E due to the current market turmoil. At $97.40, Whirlpool's share price has fallen a whopping 40.5% from 52-week highs around $163. The company has a nicely profitable operating history that allows them to pay a dividend currently yielding 4.9% before adding average annual share repurchases of 1.8% over the past decade. A free cash flow analysis touched on later in this article indicates free cash flow yields around 8.7% at current prices.

An Introduction To The Company

Whirlpool is the world's leading manufacturing of major appliances with 77,000 employees and 59 manufacturing and technology research centers spread throughout the world. As a company, Whirlpool had $20.4B of sales in 2019 and has six brands with more than $1B in sales each. Major brands include regional and local brands such as Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Brastemp, Bauknecht and Indesit. In 2019, Whirlpool received 56% of its sales in North America, 21% in Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), 16% in South America, and 7% in Asia showing that while the company is global, it has lots of room to expand further in developing regions.

A Cyclical But Growing Company

Whirlpool's global footprint and strong brand name products have allowed the company to achieve an average return on equity (ROE) and return on invested capital (ROIC) of 14.6% and 10.4%, respectively, over the past decade. This level of profitability is well above my rule of thumb of 15% ROE and 9% ROIC, allowing me to be confident that, in my opinion, the company is able to maintain and continue to increase its intrinsic value over a business cycle. The notable decline in book value and profitability in 2018 is attributable to the large

This article was written by

2.99K Followers
Through always enjoying the concepts of value creation and business management it has allowed me to explore potential investments at an academic and strategic level. My investment ideas are presented through two sides; with the most important being financial performance and the second most important being valuation. In my opinion, if a company does not meet certain financial criteria, a valuation of that company can only mean something if you are investing in the senior debt at best or if you are purely speculating at worst. Focusing on return on invested capital (ROIC), I classify potential investments as either long-term/indefinite investments, medium-term investments, or value traps. 1) Long-term/Indefinite: ROIC of greater than 9% and able to grow intrinsic value 2) Medium-term: ROIC of 6 – 9% and able to maintain intrinsic value. 3) Value Traps: ROIC of less than 6% and not able to meet their cost of capital My investing philosophy stems from Warren Buffett’s focus on long-term moats and value creation while expanding to include potential growth opportunities from the approach of Peter Lynch. At heart, I am a long-term investor that looks to buy value opportunities at a 30 per cent discount to intrinsic value with the potential to earn over 9 per cent return on equity (ROE) adjusted for the equity value per share that is paid at purchase. I believe growth is always a subjective variable but can be estimated through a product of retained earnings and the companies return on equity given the variability of both in the past decade.Disclaimer: While the information and data presented in my articles are obtained from company documents and/or sources believed to be reliable, they have not been independently verified. The material is intended only as general information for your convenience, and should not in any way be construed as investment advice. I advise readers to conduct their own independent research to build their own independent opinions and/or consult a qualified investment advisor before making any investment decisions. I explicitly disclaim any liability that may arise from investment decisions you make based on my articles.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a long position in WHR over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Disclaimer: While the information and data presented in my articles are obtained from company documents and/or sources believed to be reliable, they have not been independently verified. The material is intended only as general information for your convenience and should not in any way be construed as investment advice. I advise readers to conduct their own independent research to build their own independent opinions and/or consult a qualified investment advisor before making any investment decisions. I explicitly disclaim any liability that may arise from investment decisions you make based on my articles.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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