Whirlpool Corporation CEO Marc Bitzer and CFO Jim Peters met with Wall Street analysts Tuesday morning for their quarterly conference call, interpreting Q2 2025 performance results released late Monday. Not surprisingly, Bitzer doubled down on the company’s three-prong strategy, built on the foundation of Trump Administration economic policy and actions so far.
Bitzer acknowledged disappointment with lagging sales and lower earnings in Q2, but said the results were indicative of the rapidly changing situation with tariff levels and competitors jockeying to take short term advantage of that uncertainty. The Whirlpool chief executive underlined his belief that the company is uniquely positioned to take advantage of Trump Administration trade policies as they settle into long term effect.
Bitzer cited three factors for his confidence going forward:
–Introduction of more than 100 new products across several Whirlpool brands
–Whirlpool’s advantage in producing a large share of its products in the US, giving it a tariff-driven edge on Asia-based compettiors
–Whirlpool’s historical dominance with US home builders, meaning it is poised for a sales spurt whenever domestic home construction picks up pace
Bitzer and Peters argued that it’s a matter of time until these key factors align and drive growth for Whirlpool’s sales, profits and Wall Street share price. That share price hit a bump Monday, following the quarterly results release, dropping about 12 percent in after-hours trading Monday and continuing in that range after Tuesday’s open.
Investor interest in WHR stock may also be affected by an announced change in dividend policy. Peters reiterated Whirlpool’s commitment to paying a quarterly dividend but announced that management’s recommendation to the Board of Diretors would be for an annual dividend level of $3.60 or 90 cents per quarter. That’s down from $7.00 ($1.75 per quarter) in recent years.
Bitzer explained that the $3.60 annual dividend is simply more in line with the reality of business today, vs the unique post-Covid era now in the rear-view mirror. He believes investors will understand that change and continue to see Whirlpool as an attractive stock, especially as US economic policies shift to rewarding American companies for producing products in America.
Focusing on the short-term retail appliance market, Bitzer said it’s difficult to predict when a shift will take place in Whirlpool’s favor, because Asian competitors have taken advantage of extensions in tariff deadlines to load up warehouses with appliances. When that suppy dwindles and tariffs are fully in effect, he predicts Whirlpool will be the beneficiary, with its US-assembled appliances growing their market share. His on-going strategies are built on that premise and the company’s expectations for the remainder of 2025 and beyond flow from those plans. Millions of Whirlpool investors and thousands of Whirlpool employees await the results.
