Whirlpool Corporation Reports Strong First-Quarter 2019 Results

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., April 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) announced today first-quarter GAAP net earnings of $471 million, or $7.31 per diluted share, compared to $94 million, or $1.30 per diluted share, reported for the same prior-year period, primarily driven by certain favorable tax related items. First-quarter ongoing earnings per diluted share((1) )were $3.11, compared to $2.81 in the same prior-year period.

"We delivered another strong quarter with margin expansion and record first-quarter earnings per share despite a soft demand environment in several countries," said Marc Bitzer, chairman and chief executive officer of Whirlpool Corporation. "Successful execution of price increases and sustained focus on cost discipline drove very positive results in the first quarter, and provide confidence in our ability to deliver our full-year financial goals."

First-quarter net sales were $4.8 billion, compared to $4.9 billion in the same prior-year period. Excluding the impact of currency, sales increased 1.0 percent.

First-quarter earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT)((2)) were $393 million, or 8.3 percent of sales, compared to $151 million, or 3.1 percent of sales, in the same prior-year period, primarily driven by a Brazil indirect tax credit and lower restructuring costs. First-quarter ongoing EBIT((2)) was $298 million, or 6.3 percent of sales, compared to $295 million, or 6.0 percent of sales, in the same prior-year period. On a GAAP and ongoing basis, EBIT margin was favorably impacted by product price/mix and restructuring benefits, which were partially offset by higher cost inflation, unfavorable productivity related to lower unit volumes and currency.

For the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company reported cash used by operating activities of $(895) million, compared to $(713) million in the prior year. The Company reported free cash flow((4)) of $(969) million for the first three months of 2019, compared to $(756) million for the first three months of 2018, primarily driven by temporarily higher inventory in North America and the timing of certain payments.

FIRST-QUARTER REGIONAL REVIEW

Whirlpool North America

Whirlpool North America reported first-quarter net sales of $2.5 billion, compared to $2.5 billion in the same prior-year period. Excluding the impact of currency, sales increased 1.1 percent.

The region reported first-quarter EBIT((3)) of $312 million, or 12.3 percent of sales, compared to $288 million, or 11.4 percent of sales, in the same prior-year period. During the quarter, the favorable impacts of product price/mix were partially offset by cost inflation and lower unit volumes.

Whirlpool Europe, Middle East and Africa

Whirlpool Europe, Middle East and Africa reported first-quarter net sales of $1.0 billion, compared to $1.1 billion in the same prior-year period. Excluding the impact of currency, sales increased 1.6 percent.

The region reported first-quarter EBIT((3)) of $(21) million, or (2.1) percent of sales, compared to $(27) million, or (2.5) percent of sales, in the same prior-year period. During the quarter, the favorable impacts of restructuring benefits and unit volume growth were partially offset by lower production levels and inventory liquidation costs in Turkey.

Whirlpool Latin America

Whirlpool Latin America reported first-quarter net sales of $875 million, compared to $898 million in the same prior-year period. Excluding the impact of currency, sales increased 6.7 percent.

The region reported first-quarter EBIT((3)) of $45 million, or 5.1 percent of sales, compared to $57 million, or 6.3 percent of sales, in the same prior-year period. During the quarter, the favorable impacts of product price/mix and unit volume growth offset unfavorable currency; prior-period results were positively impacted by the monetization of approximately $22 million in certain tax credits.

Whirlpool Asia

Whirlpool Asia reported first-quarter net sales of $371 million, compared to $448 million in the same prior-year period. Excluding the impact of currency, sales decreased 11.5 percent.

The region reported first-quarter EBIT((3)) of $7 million, or 1.9 percent of sales, compared to $19 million, or 4.2 percent of sales, in the same prior-year period. During the quarter, the favorable impact of product price/mix was more than offset by lower unit volumes and related unfavorable productivity in China.

OUTLOOK

For the full-year 2019((5)), the Company now expects GAAP earnings per diluted share of $14.05 to $15.05 and continues to expect ongoing earnings per diluted share((1) )of $14.00 to $15.00. On a GAAP basis, earnings per diluted share includes restructuring expense of approximately $100 million, divestiture related transition costs of approximately $23 million and the favorable impact of a Brazil indirect tax credit of $127 million.

For the full-year 2019((5)), the Company continues to expect to generate cash provided by operating activities of $1.4 billion to $1.5 billion and free cash flow((4)) of $800 million to $900 million. Included in this guidance are restructuring cash outlays of approximately $100 million and, with respect to free cash flow((4)), capital spending of approximately $625 million.

"In addition to our seasonal cash usage in the first quarter, we increased our quarterly dividend for the seventh consecutive year and repurchased additional common stock," said Jim Peters, chief financial officer of Whirlpool Corporation. "We are on track to meet our strong earnings and cash flow guidance for the year, which will allow us to fully invest in our business, strengthen our balance sheet and return strong levels of cash to shareholders."

                        (1)  A reconciliation of ongoing earnings per
                         diluted share, a non-GAAP financial measure,
                         to reported net earnings per diluted share
                         available to Whirlpool and other important
                         information, appears below.




                        (2) A reconciliation of earnings before interest
                         and taxes (EBIT) and ongoing EBIT, non-GAAP
                         financial measures, to reported net earnings
                         available to Whirlpool and other important
                         information, appears below.




                        (3) Segment EBIT represents our consolidated
                         EBIT broken down by the Company's reportable
                         segments. Consolidated EBIT also includes
                         corporate "Other/Eliminations" of $50 million
                         and $(186) million for the first quarters of
                         2019 and 2018, respectively.  Ongoing segment
                         EBIT includes certain adjustments to segment
                         EBIT, and a reconciliation and other important
                         information, appears below.




                        (4) A reconciliation of free cash flow, a non-
                         GAAP financial measure, to cash provided by
                         (used in) operating activities and other
                         important information, appears below.




                        (5) Full-year 2019 guidance measures of GAAP
                         earnings per diluted share, ongoing earnings
                         per diluted share and free cash flow do not
                         reflect the anticipated gain on sale and, in
                         the case of free cash flow, proceeds from the
                         sale of the Embraco business. The final amounts
                         are subject to a number of variables that are
                         subject to change, including the net book value
                         of held for sale assets, closing costs, taxes,
                         and customary adjustments for indebtedness,
                         cash, and working capital at closing.

About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the leading major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 92,000 employees and 65 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2018. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, JennAir, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com, or find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp.

Website Disclosure
We routinely post important information for investors on our website, whirlpoolcorp.com, in the "Investors" section. We also intend to update the Hot Topics Q&A portion of this webpage as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Investors section of our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our webpage is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document.

Whirlpool Additional Information:
This document contains forward-looking statements about Whirlpool Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries ("Whirlpool") that speak only as of this date. Whirlpool disclaims any obligation to update these statements. Forward-looking statements in this document may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding expected earnings per share, cash flow, productivity and raw material prices. Many risks, contingencies and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from Whirlpool's forward-looking statements. Among these factors are: (1) intense competition in the home appliance industry reflecting the impact of both new and established global competitors, including Asian and European manufacturers, and the impact of the changing retail environment; (2) Whirlpool's ability to maintain or increase sales to significant trade customers and the ability of these trade customers to maintain or increase market share; (3) Whirlpool's ability to maintain its reputation and brand image; (4) the ability of Whirlpool to achieve its business plans, productivity improvements, and cost control objectives, and to leverage its global operating platform, and accelerate the rate of innovation; (5) Whirlpool's ability to obtain and protect intellectual property rights; (6) acquisition and investment-related risks, including risks associated with our past acquisitions, and risks associated with our increased presence in emerging markets; (7) risks related to our international operations, including changes in foreign regulations, regulatory compliance and disruptions arising from political, legal and economic instability; (8) information technology system failures, data security breaches, network disruptions, and cybersecurity attacks; (9) product liability and product recall costs; (10) the ability of suppliers of critical parts, components and manufacturing equipment to deliver sufficient quantities to Whirlpool in a timely and cost-effective manner; (11) our ability to attract, develop and retain executives and other qualified employees; (12) the impact of labor relations; (13) fluctuations in the cost of key materials (including steel, resins, copper and aluminum) and components and the ability of Whirlpool to offset cost increases; (14) Whirlpool's ability to manage foreign currency fluctuations; (15) impacts from goodwill impairment and related charges; (16) triggering events or circumstances impacting the carrying value of our long-lived assets; (17) inventory and other asset risk; (18) the uncertain global economy and changes in economic conditions which affect demand for our products; (19) health care cost trends, regulatory changes and variations between results and estimates that could increase future funding obligations for pension and postretirement benefit plans; (20) litigation, tax, and legal compliance risk and costs, especially if materially different from the amount we expect to incur or have accrued for, and any disruptions caused by the same; (21) the effects and costs of governmental investigations or related actions by third parties; and (22) changes in the legal and regulatory environment including environmental, health and safety regulations, and taxes and tariffs.

Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in Whirlpool's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K. The number one major appliance manufacturer in the world claim is based on most recently available publicly reported annual revenues among leading appliance manufacturers.

                                                                         
              
                WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION

                                                        
              
         CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (UNAUDITED)

                                                                      
            
                FOR THE PERIODS ENDED MARCH 31

                                                                    
       
                (Millions of dollars, except per share data)






                                                                                                                                               Three Months Ended


                                                                                                                        2019                                      2018



     
                Net sales                                                                                                   $
              
                4,760                $
        4,911



     
                Expenses



     Cost of products sold                                                                                            3,948                                           4,099



     Gross margin                                                                                                       812                                             812




     Selling, general and administrative                                                                                505                                             505



     Intangible amortization                                                                                             18                                              20



     Restructuring costs                                                                                                 26                                             144




     Operating profit                                                                                                   263                                             143



     
                Other (income) expense



     Interest and sundry (income) expense                                                                             (130)                                            (8)



     Interest expense                                                                                                    51                                              42




     Earnings before income taxes                                                                                       342                                             109



     Income tax (benefit) expense                                                                                     (132)                                             15




     Net earnings                                                                                                       474                                              94



     Less: Net earnings available to noncontrolling interests                                                             3




     Net earnings available to Whirlpool                                                                                        $
              
                471                   $
        94




     
                Per share of common stock



     Basic net earnings available to Whirlpool                                                                                 $
              
                7.36                 $
        1.31




     Diluted net earnings available to Whirlpool                                                                               $
              
                7.31                 $
        1.30




     Dividends declared                                                                                                        $
              
                1.15                 $
        1.10




     
                Weighted-average shares outstanding (in millions)



     Basic                                                                                                             64.0                                            71.2



     Diluted                                                                                                           64.5                                            72.1





     
                Comprehensive income                                                                                          $
              
                567                   $
        99


                                                                                                    
        
              WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION

                                                                                                  
        
        CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS

                                                                                                 
        
        (Millions of dollars, except share data)






                                                                                                                                                    March 31, 2019                        December 31, 2018


                                                                                                                                                      (Unaudited)



              
                Assets



              Current assets



              Cash and cash equivalents                                                                                                                            $
      
      1,163                           $
      1,498



              Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $131 and $136, respectively                                                                          2,222                  2,210



              Inventories                                                                                                                                   2,960                  2,533



              Prepaid and other current assets                                                                                                                960                    839



              Assets held for sale                                                                                                                            931                    818



              Total current assets                                                                                                                          8,236                  7,898




              Property, net of accumulated depreciation of $6,263 and $6,190, respectively                                                                  3,358                  3,414



              Right of use assets                                                                                                                             778



              Goodwill                                                                                                                                      2,456                  2,451



              Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $545 and $527, respectively                                                             2,279                  2,296



              Deferred income taxes                                                                                                                         2,213                  1,989



              Other noncurrent assets                                                                                                                         366                    299




              Total assets                                                                                                                                        $
      
      19,686                          $
      18,347




              
                Liabilities and stockholders' equity



              Current liabilities



              Accounts payable                                                                                                                                     $
      
      4,310                           $
      4,487



              Accrued expenses                                                                                                                                655                    690



              Accrued advertising and promotions                                                                                                              556                    827



              Employee compensation                                                                                                                           339                    393



              Notes payable                                                                                                                                 2,019                  1,034



              Current maturities of long-term debt                                                                                                            568                    947



              Other current liabilities                                                                                                                       907                    811



              Liabilities held for sale                                                                                                                       524                    489



              Total current liabilities                                                                                                                     9,878                  9,678




              Noncurrent liabilities



              Long-term debt                                                                                                                                4,137                  4,046



              Pension benefits                                                                                                                                610                    637



              Postretirement benefits                                                                                                                         308                    318



              Lease liabilities                                                                                                                               649



              Other noncurrent liabilities                                                                                                                    385                    463




              Total noncurrent liabilities                                                                                                                  6,089                  5,464




              Stockholders' equity



              Common stock, $1 par value, 250 million shares authorized, 112 million shares                                                                   112                    112
    issued, and 63 million and 64 million shares outstanding, respectively



              Additional paid-in capital                                                                                                                    2,777                  2,768



              Retained earnings                                                                                                                             7,391                  6,933



              Accumulated other comprehensive loss                                                                                                        (2,602)               (2,695)



              Treasury stock, 49 million and 48 million shares, respectively                                                                              (4,876)               (4,827)




              Total Whirlpool stockholders' equity                                                                                                          2,802                  2,291




              Noncontrolling interests                                                                                                                        917                    914




              Total stockholders' equity                                                                                                                    3,719                  3,205




              Total liabilities and stockholders' equity                                                                                                          $
      
      19,686                          $
      18,347


                                                                                                  
           
                WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION

                                                                                            
     
         CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)

                                                                                                
        
                FOR THE PERIODS ENDED MARCH 31

                                                                                                  
           
                (Millions of dollars)






                                                                                                                                                                               Three Months Ended


                                                                                                                                                                 2019                             2018



              
                Operating activities



              Net earnings                                                                                                                                             $
       
                474                    $
        94



              Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to cash provided by (used in) operating
    activities:



              Depreciation and amortization                                                                                                                      142                                     177



              Changes in assets and liabilities:



              Accounts receivable                                                                                                                               (39)                                     85



              Inventories                                                                                                                                      (475)                                  (375)



              Accounts payable                                                                                                                                 (182)                                  (259)



              Accrued advertising and promotions                                                                                                               (271)                                  (287)



              Accrued expenses and current liabilities                                                                                                            29                                    (28)



              Taxes deferred and payable, net                                                                                                                  (190)                                   (40)



              Accrued pension and postretirement benefits                                                                                                       (23)                                   (16)



              Employee compensation                                                                                                                             (44)                                   (24)



              Other                                                                                                                                            (316)                                   (40)



              Cash used in operating activities                                                                                                                (895)                                  (713)




              
                Investing activities



              Capital expenditures                                                                                                                              (85)                                   (66)



              Proceeds from sale of assets and business                                                                                                            2                                       6



              Proceeds from held-to-maturity securities                                                                                                            -                                     60



              Investment in related businesses                                                                                                                     -                                    (2)



              Other                                                                                                                                              (3)                                    (1)




              Cash used in investing activities                                                                                                                 (86)                                    (3)




              
                Financing activities



              Net proceeds from borrowings of long-term debt                                                                                                     695



              Repayments of long-term debt                                                                                                                     (939)                                    (4)



              Net proceeds from short-term borrowings                                                                                                            991                                     599



              Dividends paid                                                                                                                                    (73)                                   (78)



              Repurchase of common stock                                                                                                                        (50)



              Common stock issued                                                                                                                                  3                                       5



              Cash provided by financing activities                                                                                                              627                                     522




              Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash                                                                       11                                      25




              Decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash                                                                                           (343)                                  (169)



              Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period                                                                                1,538                                   1,293




              Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period                                                                                            $
       
                1,195                 $
        1,124


SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION - CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(Millions of dollars except per share data)
(Unaudited)

We supplement the reporting of our financial information determined under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) with certain non-GAAP financial measures, some of which we refer to as "ongoing" measures, including earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), EBIT margin, ongoing EBIT, ongoing EBIT margin, ongoing earnings, ongoing earnings per diluted share, ongoing segment EBIT, ongoing segment EBIT margin, sales excluding currency and free cash flow. Ongoing measures exclude items that may not be indicative of, or are unrelated to, results from our ongoing operations and provide a better baseline for analyzing trends in our underlying businesses. Sales excluding foreign currency is calculated by translating the current period net sales, in functional currency, to U.S. dollars using the prior-year period's exchange rate compared to the prior-year period net sales. Management believes that sales excluding foreign currency provides stockholders with a clearer basis to assess our results over time, excluding the impact of exchange rate fluctuations. Management believes that free cash flow provides investors and stockholders with a relevant measure of liquidity and a useful basis for assessing the company's ability to fund its activities and obligations.The Company provides free cash flow related metrics, such as free cash flow as a percentage of net sales, as long-term management goals, not an element of its annual financial guidance, and as such does not provide a reconciliation of free cash flow to cash provided by (used in) operating activities, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, for these long-term goal metrics. Any such reconciliation would rely on market factors and certain other conditions and assumptions that are outside of the company's control. We believe that these non-GAAP measures provide meaningful information to assist investors and stockholders in understanding our financial results and assessing our prospects for future performance, and reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of our operations that, when viewed with our GAAP financial measures, provide a more complete understanding of our business. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names. These ongoing financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for reported net earnings available to Whirlpool per diluted share, net earnings, net earnings available to Whirlpool, net sales, and cash provided by (used in) operating activities, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. We also disclose segment EBIT and ongoing segment EBIT as important financial metrics used by the Company's Chief Operating Decision Maker to evaluate performance and allocate resources in accordance with ASC 280 - Segment Reporting. GAAP net earnings available to Whirlpool per diluted share and ongoing earnings per diluted share are presented net of tax, while individual adjustments in each reconciliation are presented on a pre-tax basis; the income tax impact line item aggregates the tax impact for these adjustments. The tax impact of individual line item adjustments may not foot precisely to the aggregate income tax impact amount, as each line item adjustment may include non-taxable components. Historical quarterly earnings per share amounts are presented based on a normalized tax rate adjustment to reconcile quarterly tax rates to full-year tax rate expectations. We strongly encourage investors and stockholders to review our financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

First-Quarter 2019 Ongoing Earnings Before Interest and Taxes and Ongoing Earnings per Diluted Share

The reconciliation provided below reconciles the non-GAAP financial measures ongoing earnings before interest and taxes and ongoing earnings per diluted share, with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, net earnings available to Whirlpool and net earnings per diluted share available to Whirlpool, for the three months ended March 31, 2019. Ongoing EBIT margin is calculated by dividing ongoing EBIT by net sales. EBIT margin is calculated by dividing EBIT by net sales. The earnings per diluted share GAAP measure and ongoing measure are presented net of tax, while each adjustment is presented on a pre-tax basis. The aggregate income tax impact of the taxable components of each adjustment is presented in the income tax impact line item at our first-quarter adjusted effective tax rate of 17.5%.

                                                                                           Three Months Ended


                                                                                             March 31, 2019


                                                                        Earnings before                          Earnings per
                                                                     interest &
                                                                       taxes(6)                            diluted share



     Reported measure                                                                  $
          393                                          $
           7.31



     Restructuring costs(a)                                                         26                                          0.40



     Brazil indirect tax credit(c)                                               (127)                                       (1.97)



     Divestiture related transition costs (d)                                        6                                          0.09



     Income tax impact                                                               -                                         0.26



     Normalized tax rate adjustment(b)                                               -                                       (2.98)



     Ongoing measure                                                                   $
          298                                          $
           3.11








     Earnings Before Interest & Taxes Reconciliation:



          Net earnings (loss) available to Whirlpool                                                                                 $
     471



          Net earnings (loss) available to noncontrolling interests                                                                                3



          Income tax expense (benefit)                                                                                                         (132)



          Interest expense                                                                                                                        51




          Earnings before interest & taxes(6)                                                                                        $
     393






     Note: Numbers may not reconcile due to rounding

First-Quarter 2018 Ongoing Earnings Before Interest and Taxes and Ongoing Earnings per Diluted Share

The reconciliation provided below reconciles the non-GAAP financial measures ongoing earnings before interest and taxes and ongoing earnings per diluted share, with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, net earnings available to Whirlpool and net earnings per diluted share available to Whirlpool, for the three months ended March 31, 2018. Ongoing EBIT margin is calculated by dividing ongoing EBIT by net sales. EBIT margin is calculated by dividing EBIT by net sales. The earnings per diluted share GAAP measure and ongoing measure are presented net of tax, while each adjustment is presented on a pre-tax basis. The aggregate income tax impact of the taxable components of each adjustment is presented in the income tax impact line item at our first-quarter adjusted effective tax rate of 20.0%.

                                                                        Three Months Ended


                                                                          March 31, 2018


                                                            Earnings
                                                             before                       Earnings per
                                                      interest &
                                                       taxes(6)                     diluted share


     Reported measure                                                $
      151                                           $
        1.30


     Restructuring
      costs(a)                                                   144                                      2.00


     Income tax impact                                                                                 (0.40)


     Normalized tax rate
      adjustment(b)                                                                                    (0.09)


     Ongoing measure                                                 $
      295                                           $
        2.81







     Earnings Before Interest & Taxes Reconciliation:


          Net earnings (loss) available
           to Whirlpool                                                                                         $
      94


          Net earnings (loss) available
           to noncontrolling interests


          Income tax expense (benefit)                                                                                    15


          Interest expense                                                                                                42



          Earnings before interest &
           taxes(6)                                                                                            $
      151





     Note: Numbers may not reconcile due to rounding

Ongoing Segment Earnings Before Interest and Taxes

The reconciliation provided below reconciles the non-GAAP financial measure ongoing segment EBIT with reported EBIT, for the three months ended March 31, 2019. Ongoing segment EBIT margin is calculated by dividing ongoing segment EBIT by segment net sales.

                                                                  
              
             Three Months Ended


                                                                    
              
             March 31, 2019


                                     Segment earnings before    Restructuring             Brazil              Divestiture
                                                                                         indirect                related             Ongoing segment earnings
                                  interest and taxes         costs(a)            tax credit(c)            transition          before interest and
                                                                                                           costs(d)                  taxes



     North America                                           $
              312                                 
              $                              
         $                   
     $      $
       312



     EMEA                                              (21)                                                                                                              (21)



     Latin America                                       45                                                                                                                 45



     Asia                                                 7                                                                                                                  7



     Other/Eliminations                                  50                                    26                                   (127)                     6             (45)




     Total Whirlpool Corporation                             $
              393                                              $
              26                        $
     (127)             $
     6   $
       298


The reconciliation provided below reconciles the non-GAAP financial measure ongoing segment EBIT with reported EBIT, for the three months ended March 31, 2018. Ongoing segment EBIT margin is calculated by dividing ongoing segment EBIT by segment net sales.

                                                                                    
         
        Three Months Ended


                                                                                      
         
        March 31, 2018


                                                         Segment earnings before                 Restructuring          Ongoing segment earnings
                                                      interest and taxes                      expense(a)              before interest and
                                                                                                                             taxes



     North America                                                              $
         288                                          
              $              $
      288



     EMEA                                                                  (27)                                                                         (27)



     Latin America                                                           57                                                                           57



     Asia                                                                    19                                                                           19



     Other/Eliminations                                                   (186)                                  144                                     (42)




     Total Whirlpool Corporation                                                $
         151                                                       $
     144        $
      295






     Note: Numbers may not reconcile due to rounding

Full-Year 2019 Outlook For Ongoing Earnings Before Interest and Taxes and Ongoing Earnings per Diluted Share

The reconciliation provided below reconciles the non-GAAP financial measures ongoing earnings before interest and taxes and ongoing earnings per diluted share, with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, net earnings available to Whirlpool and net earnings per diluted share available to Whirlpool, for the twelve months ending December 31, 2019. Ongoing EBIT margin is calculated by dividing ongoing EBIT by net sales. EBIT margin is calculated by dividing EBIT by net sales. The earnings per diluted share GAAP measure and ongoing measure are presented net of tax, while each adjustment is presented on a pre-tax basis. The aggregate income tax impact of the taxable components of each adjustment is presented in the income tax impact line item at our anticipated full-year tax rate between 15% and 20%.

                                Twelve Months Ending


                                  December 31, 2019


                            Earnings before          
          Earnings per
                     interest & taxes(6)               diluted share


     Reported
      measure*                                $1,354 
          $14.05 - $15.05


     Restructuring
      costs(a)                                   100                   1.55


     Brazil indirect
      tax credit(c)                            (127)                (1.97)


     Divestiture
      related
      transition
      costs(d)                                    23                   0.36


     Income tax
      impact                                                          0.01


     Ongoing measure                          $1,350 
          $14.00 - $15.00




               *The Reported measure for the twelve
                months ending December 31, 2019 does
                not include the anticipated gain
                associated with the sale of the
                Embraco business.




               Note: Numbers may not reconcile due
                to rounding




                            (6) Earnings Before Interest & Taxes
                             (EBIT) is a non-GAAP measure. The
                             Company does not provide a forward-
                             looking quantitative reconciliation
                             of EBIT to the most directly
                             comparable GAAP financial measure,
                             net earnings available to Whirlpool,
                             because the net earnings available
                             to noncontrolling interests item of
                             such reconciliation -- which has
                             historically represented a
                             relatively insignificant amount of
                             the Company's overall net earnings -
                             - implicates the Company's
                             projections regarding the earnings
                             of the Company's non wholly-owned
                             subsidiaries and joint ventures that
                             cannot be quantified precisely or
                             without unreasonable efforts.

Full-Year 2018 Ongoing Earnings Before Interest and Taxes and Ongoing Earnings per Diluted Share

The reconciliation provided below reconciles the non-GAAP financial measures ongoing earnings before interest and taxes and ongoing earnings per diluted share, with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, net earnings (loss) available to Whirlpool and net earnings per diluted share available to Whirlpool, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018. Ongoing EBIT margin is calculated by dividing ongoing EBIT by net sales. EBIT margin is calculated by dividing EBIT by net sales. The earnings per diluted share GAAP measure and ongoing measure are presented net of tax, while each adjustment is presented on a pre-tax basis. Our full-year GAAP tax rate includes the nondeductible earnings impact of the impairment of goodwill and intangibles of $747 million and the France antitrust settlement charge of $103 million. The aggregate income tax impact of the taxable components of each adjustment is presented in the income tax impact line item at our full-year adjusted tax rate of approximately 6.6%.

                                                                              Twelve Months Ended


                                                                               December 31, 2018


                                                         Earnings before                             Earnings per
                                                       interest &
                                                       taxes(6)                                diluted share


      Reported measure                                                     $
           171                                              $
        (2.72)


      Restructuring
       costs(a)                                                      247                                             3.68


      France antitrust
       settlement (f)                                                103                                             1.53


      Impairment of
       goodwill and
       intangibles (g)                                               747                                            11.11


      Trade customer
       insolvency(e)                                                  30                                             0.45


      Divestiture related
       transition costs
       (d)                                                            21                                             0.32


      Income tax impact                                                -                                          (0.29)


      Normalized tax rate
       adjustment(b)                                                   -                                            1.25


      Share adjustment*                                                -                                          (0.17)



      Ongoing measure                                                    $
           1,319                                               $
        15.16








     Earnings Before Interest & Taxes Reconciliation:


           Net earnings (loss) available
            to Whirlpool                                                                                                  $
       (183)


           Net earnings (loss) available
            to noncontrolling interests                                                                                                     24


           Income tax expense (benefit)                                                                                                  138


           Interest expense                                                                                                              192



           Earnings before interest &
            taxes(6)                                                                                                        $
       171






     Note: Numbers may not reconcile due to rounding



               *As a result of our full-year
                GAAP earnings loss, the
                impact of antidilutive shares
                was excluded from the loss
                per share calculation on a
                GAAP basis. The share count
                adjustment used in the
                calculation of the full year
                ongoing earnings per diluted
                share includes the full-year
                weighted average basic shares
                outstanding of 67.2 million
                plus the impact of
                antidilutive shares of 0.7
                million which were excluded
                on a GAAP basis.


     
      Footnotes:




      a.            RESTRUCTURING COSTS - In 2014, the Company
                     completed the acquisition of Indesit S.p.A.,
                     which, due to its size, materially changed
                     our European footprint. In 2018, these costs
                     are primarily related to Indesit
                     restructuring, an Embraco plant closure in
                     Italy, and certain other unique restructuring
                     events. In 2019, these costs are primarily
                     related to actions that right-size our EMEA
                     business and certain other unique
                     restructuring events.




      b.            NORMALIZED TAX RATE ADJUSTMENT - During the
                     first quarter of 2019, the Company calculated
                     ongoing earnings per share using an adjusted
                     tax rate of 17.5%, to reconcile to our
                     anticipated full-year effective tax rate
                     between 15% and 20%, which includes the tax
                     impact of a valuation allowance release and
                     the Brazil indirect tax credit. The Company's
                     2018 normalized tax rate excludes the tax
                     impact of impairment of goodwill and
                     intangibles of $747 million, the France
                     antitrust settlement charge of $103 million
                     and the impact of U.S. tax reform of $95
                     million.




      c.            BRAZIL INDIRECT TAX CREDIT - During the first
                     quarter of 2019, the Company received a
                     favorable, non-appealable decision related
                     to the recovery of certain taxes previously
                     paid over gross sales. As a result, the
                     Company recorded a $127 million gain in
                     interest and sundry (income) expense, in
                     connection with this decision.




      d.            DIVESTITURE RELATED TRANSITION COSTS -During
                     the first quarter of 2019 and the fourth
                     quarter of 2018, the Company recognized
                     transition costs of approximately $6 million
                     and $21 million, respectively, associated
                     with the sale of its Embraco compressor
                     business.




      e.            TRADE CUSTOMER INSOLVENCY -During the third
                     quarter of 2018, the Company recognized bad
                     debt expense related to trade customer
                     insolvency of a U.S. retailer and a Brazilian
                     retailer, in the amount of approximately $17
                     million and $12 million, respectively. During
                     the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company
                     recognized an additional bad debt expense
                     related to the Brazilian retailer in the
                     amount of approximately $14 million, and a
                     reduced bad debt expense related to the U.S.
                     retailer in the amount of approximately $13
                     million.




      f.            FRANCE ANTITRUST SETTLEMENT -In 2013, the
                     French Competition Authority ("FCA")
                     commenced an investigation of appliance
                     manufacturers and retailers, including
                     Whirlpool and Indesit operations in France.
                     With respect to the first part of the
                     investigation, the Company agreed to a
                     preliminary settlement with the FCA staff in
                     the second quarter of 2018 and accrued $114
                     million. In the fourth quarter of 2018, the
                     final settlement was approved by the FCA's
                     college of commissioners in the amount of
                     approximately $122 million, with
                     approximately $19 million of the total
                     settlement to be paid by the previous owner
                     of Indesit to the Company. The Company paid
                     $52 million in the first quarter of 2019 and
                     the remainder in the second quarter of 2019.




      g.            IMPAIRMENT OF GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLES -
                     During the second quarter of 2018, we
                     performed a quantitative assessment of the
                     EMEA region's goodwill and intangible assets
                     for impairment. Based on a third-party
                     valuation, we concluded that fair value of
                     equity did not exceed its carrying value and
                     therefore goodwill and intangible assets were
                     impaired. The impact of this impairment was
                     $168 million to intangible assets and $579
                     million to goodwill in the second quarter of
                     2018.

Free Cash Flow

As defined by the Company, free cash flow is cash provided by (used in) operating activities after capital expenditures, proceeds from the sale of assets and businesses and changes in restricted cash. The reconciliation provided below reconciles three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 and projected 2019 full-year free cash flow with cash provided by (used in) operating activities, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Free cash flow as a percentage of net sales is calculated by dividing free cash flow by net sales.



                                                                               Three Months
                                                                  Ended March 31,



              
                (millions of dollars)                                      2019    2018         2019 Outlook



              Cash provided by (used in) operating activities*                      $(895) $(713)  
       $1,425 - $1,525



              Capital expenditures, proceeds from sale of                             (74)   (43)                (625)
    assets/businesses and change in restricted cash**




              Free cash flow                                                        $(969) $(756)    
         $800 - $900






              Cash provided by (used in) investing activities***                     $(86)   $(3)



              Cash provided by (used in) financing activities***                      $627    $522



               *The Reported measure for the twelve
                months ending December 31, 2019 does not
                include the anticipated gain associated
                with the sale of the Embraco business.




               **The change in restricted cash relates to
                the private placement funds paid by
                Whirlpool to acquire majority control of
                Whirlpool China (formerly Hefei Sanyo)
                and which are used to fund capital and
                technical resources to enhance Whirlpool
                China's research and development and
                working capital, as required by the terms
                of the Hefei Sanyo acquisition completed
                in October 2014.




               ***Financial guidance on a GAAP basis for
                cash provided by (used in) financing
                activities and cash provided by (used in)
                investing activities has not been
                provided because in order to prepare any
                such estimate or projection, the Company
                would need to rely on market factors and
                certain other conditions and assumptions
                that are outside of its control.

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SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation