Are Whirlpool Stock Investors Happy, or Did They Miss Out?

There's no doubt that Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR) shareholders surely feel that they missed out. The stock has significantly underperformed the S&P 500 index over the last year, the last three years, and the last five years. In fact, it has declined by 45% in the previous five years, compared to a 103% increase for the S&P 500 on a total return basis (which includes dividends). It's a highly disappointing performance, and investors will wonder how Whirlpool arrived at this point and whether it's a buying opportunity or a sign of something fundamentally wrong with the company.Whirlpool is a company with $6.2 billion in long-term debt that has suffered a pincer-like impact on its profit margins and cash flow in recent years. A combination of relatively high interest rates pressuring the major domestic appliance market and extremely competitive actions by its Asian rivals in response to tariffs has pressured its top line. Meanwhile, there's upward pressure on its costs coming from the supply chain crisis and tariff cost headwinds.Image source: Getty Images.Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool