Whirlpool Trending Toward High End Of 2019 Ongoing EPS Guidance Range

(RTTNews) - Whirlpool Corp. (WHR) reaffirmed its ongoing earnings per share guidance of $14.75 to $15.50, and said it is trending towards the high end of the range. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report profit per share of $15.27. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. For 2019, the company continues to expect to generate cash provided by operating activities of approximately $1.4 billion and free cash flow of approximately $800 million.

Third-quarter ongoing earnings per share were $3.97, compared to $4.55, last year. The company's prior-year period ongoing earnings per share was favorably impacted by a lower effective tax rate. On average, seven analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report profit per share of $3.89, for the quarter.

Third-quarter net sales were $5.09 billion, compared to $5.33 billion in the same prior-year period, a decrease of 4.4 percent. Organic net sales increased 1.6 percent. Analysts expected revenue of $5.13 billion for the quarter. Whirlpool North America reported net sales of $3.0 billion, compared to $3.0 billion, prior year, an increase of 0.5 percent. Excluding the impact of currency, sales increased 0.6 percent.