Basis of Presentation (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

General Information

General Information

The accompanying unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") for interim financial information, and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all information or footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. As a result, this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Management believes that the accompanying Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods.

Use of Estimates

We are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and accompanying Notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Certain prior year amounts in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation.

Consolidation

We have eliminated all material intercompany transactions in our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. We do not consolidate the financial statements of any company in which we have an ownership interest of 50% or less, unless that company is deemed to be a variable interest entity ("VIE") of which we are the primary beneficiary. VIEs are consolidated when the company is the primary beneficiary of these entities and has the ability to directly impact the activities of these entities.

Risks and Uncertainties

Risks and Uncertainties

COVID-19 continues to impact countries across the world, and the duration and severity of the effects are currently unknown. The pandemic has impacted the Company and could materially impact our financial results in the future. The Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements presented herein reflect estimates and assumptions made by management at June 30, 2021.

Such estimates and assumptions affect, among other things, the Company’s goodwill, long-lived asset and indefinite-lived intangible asset valuation; inventory valuation; assessment of the annual effective tax rate; valuation of deferred income taxes and income tax contingencies; and the allowance for expected credit losses and bad debt. Events and changes in circumstances arising after July 22, 2021, including those resulting from the impacts of COVID-19, will be reflected in management’s estimates for future periods.

As a result of our analysis, and in consideration of the totality of events and circumstances, there were no triggering events of impairment identified during the second quarter of 2021.

A lack of recovery or further deterioration in market conditions, a sustained trend of weaker than expected financial performance in EMEA or for our Indesit, Hotpoint*, Maytag or JennAir trademarks or a lack of recovery or a decline in the Company’s market capitalization, among other factors, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or other unforeseen events could result in an impairment charge in future periods which could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements.

Goodwill and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets

Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets

Our Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles are disclosed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and in Management's Discussion and Analysis of our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

We continue to monitor the significant global economic uncertainty as a result of COVID-19 to assess the outlook for demand for our products and the impact on our business and our overall financial performance. The goodwill in our EMEA reporting unit and our Indesit, Hotpoint*, Maytag and JennAir trademarks continue to be at risk at June 30, 2021. The goodwill in our other reporting units or indefinite-lived intangible assets are not presently at risk for future impairment.

The potential impact of demand disruptions, production impacts or supply constraints could negatively effect revenues for the Indesit, Hotpoint*, Maytag and JennAir trademarks and the EMEA reporting unit, but we remain committed to the strategic actions necessary to realize the long-term forecasted EBIT margins.

Income Taxes

Income taxes Under U.S. GAAP, the Company calculates its quarterly tax provision based on an estimated effective tax rate for the year and then adjusts this amount by certain discrete items each quarter. Potential changing and volatile macro-economic conditions could cause fluctuations in forecasted earnings before income taxes. As such, the Company's effective tax rate could be subject to volatility as forecasted earnings before income taxes are impacted by events which cannot be predicted. In addition, potential future economic deterioration brought on by the pandemic or other factors may negatively impact the realizability of certain deferred tax assets.

Supply Chain Financing Arrangements

Supply Chain Financing Arrangements

The Company has ongoing agreements globally with various third-parties to allow certain suppliers the opportunity to sell receivables due from us to participating financial institutions at the sole discretion of both the suppliers and the financial institutions. Due to the completed partial tender offer for Whirlpool China and subsequent deconsolidation of the subsidiary during the second quarter of 2021, we no longer have supply chain financing arrangements in China. For additional information see Note 15 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

We have no economic interest in the sale of these receivables and no direct financial relationship with the financial institutions concerning these services. Our obligations to suppliers, including amounts due and scheduled payment terms, are not impacted. All outstanding balances under these programs are recorded in accounts payable on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. At June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, approximately $1.2 billion, has been issued to participating financial institutions.

A downgrade in our credit rating or changes in the financial markets could limit the financial institutions’ willingness to commit funds to, and participate in, the programs. We do not believe such risk would have a material impact on our working capital or cash flows.

Inventories

Inventories

Effective January 1, 2021, the Company changed its accounting principle for inventory valuation for inventories located in the U.S. from a last-in, first-out ("LIFO") basis to a first-in, first-out ("FIFO") basis. All prior periods presented in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements have been retrospectively adjusted to apply the effects of the change in accounting principle.

Equity Method Investments

Equity Method Investments

Whirlpool holds an equity interest of approximately 20% in Whirlpool China, an entity which was previously controlled by the Company. We account for the remaining interest under equity method accounting and Whirlpool China and its subsidiaries continue to supply the Company in the normal course of business. Whirlpool China was also granted a license to sell Whirlpool-branded products in China.

Subsequent to the completion of the partial tender offer for Whirlpool China and deconsolidation of the entity, we made purchases of $66 million, a portion of which reflects amounts due for products supplied prior to the divestment date. The outstanding amount due to Whirlpool China and its subsidiaries is $141 million as of June 30, 2021. The licensing revenue and outstanding accounts receivable from Whirlpool China and its subsidiaries are not material for the periods presented.

The value of the interest retained in Whirlpool China of $214 million is included in Other noncurrent assets in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet.

For additional information, see Note 15 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

In 2018, Whirlpool of India Limited (Whirlpool India), a majority-owned subsidiary of Whirlpool Corporation, acquired a 49% equity interest in Elica PB India for $22 million. Whirlpool India has a currently exercisable option to acquire the remaining equity interest in the future for fair value, and the non-Whirlpool India shareholders of Elica PB India received an option which is exercisable in the future to sell their remaining equity interest to Whirlpool India for fair value, which could be material to the financial statements of the Company depending on the performance of the venture. We account for our minority interest under the equity method of accounting.

The Company’s share of the results of equity method investments and elimination of intra-entity results are included in Interest and sundry (income) expense in the Consolidated Condensed Income Statement and Other noncurrent assets in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet. The impact of equity method investments is not material for the periods presented.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

We adopted the following standard, which did not have a material impact on our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements:

Standard		Effective Date
2019-12	Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes	January 1, 2021

All other newly issued and effective accounting standards during 2021 were not relevant or material to the Company.

Accounting Pronouncements Issued But Not Yet Effective

In March 2020, the FASB issued Update 2020-04, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting". The amendments in Update 2020-04 are elective and apply to all entities that have contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued due to reference rate reform. The new guidance provides the following optional expedients: simplify accounting analyses under current U.S. GAAP for contract modifications, simplify the assessment of hedge effectiveness, allow hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform to continue and allow a one-time election to sell or transfer debt securities classified as held to maturity that reference a rate affected by reference rate reform. In January 2021, the FASB issued Update 2021-01, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope". The update provides additional optional guidance on the transition from LIBOR to include derivative instruments that use an interest rate for

margining, discounting or contract price alignment. The standard will ease, if warranted, the requirements for accounting for the future effects of the rate reform. An entity may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2022. We continue to monitor the impact the discontinuance of LIBOR or another reference rate will have on our contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions.

All other issued and not yet effective accounting standards are not relevant or material to the Company.

Derivatives

Hedging Strategy

In the normal course of business, we manage risks relating to our ongoing business operations including those arising from changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange rates and interest rates. Fluctuations in these rates and prices can affect our operating results and financial condition. We use a variety of strategies, including the use of derivative instruments, to manage these risks. We do not enter into derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

Commodity Price Risk

We enter into commodity derivative contracts on various commodities to manage the price risk associated with forecasted purchases and sales of material used in our manufacturing process. The objective of these hedges is to reduce the variability of cash flows associated with the forecasted purchase and sales of commodities.

Foreign Currency and Interest Rate Risk

We incur expenses associated with the procurement and production of products in a limited number of countries, while we sell in the local currencies of a large number of countries. Our primary foreign currency exchange exposures result from cross-currency sales of products. As a result, we enter into foreign exchange contracts to hedge certain firm commitments and forecasted transactions to acquire products and services that are denominated in foreign currencies. We enter into certain undesignated non-functional currency asset and liability hedges that relate primarily to short-term payables, receivables, intercompany loans and dividends. When we hedge a foreign currency denominated payable or receivable with a derivative, the effect of changes in the foreign exchange rates are reflected currently in interest and sundry (income) expense for both the payable/receivable and the derivative. Therefore, as a result of the economic hedge, we do not elect hedge accounting.

We also enter into hedges to mitigate currency risk primarily related to forecasted foreign currency denominated expenditures, intercompany financing agreements and royalty agreements and designate them as cash flow hedges. Gains and losses on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, to the extent they are included in the assessment of effectiveness, are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) and subsequently reclassified to earnings to offset the impact of the hedged items when they occur.

We may enter into cross-currency interest rate swaps to manage our exposure relating to cross-currency debt. The notional amount of outstanding cross-currency interest rate swap agreements was $1,275 million at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

We may enter into interest rate swap agreements to manage interest rate risk exposure. Our interest rate swap agreements, if any, effectively modify our exposure to interest rate risk, primarily through converting certain floating rate debt to a fixed rate basis, and certain fixed rate debt to a floating rate basis. These agreements involve either the receipt or payment of floating rate amounts in exchange for fixed rate interest payments or receipts, respectively, over the life of the agreements without an exchange of the underlying principal amounts. We may enter into swap rate lock agreements to effectively reduce our exposure to interest rate risk by locking in interest rates on probable long-term debt issuances. Outstanding notional amounts of interest rate swap agreements were $300 million at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value is measured based on an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are based on a market valuation approach using prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-tiered fair value hierarchy is established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: (Level 1) observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; (Level 2) inputs, other than the quoted prices in active markets that are observable, either directly or indirectly; and (Level 3) unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

Segment Information

Our reportable segments are based upon geographical region and are defined as North America, EMEA, Latin America and Asia. These regions also represent our operating segments. Each segment manufactures home appliances and related components, but serves strategically different marketplaces. The chief operating decision maker, who is the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, evaluates performance based on each segment's earnings (loss) before interest and taxes (EBIT), which we define as operating profit less interest and sundry (income) expense and excluding restructuring costs, asset impairment charges and certain other items that management believes are not indicative of the region's ongoing performance, if any. Total assets by segment are those assets directly associated with the respective operating activities. The "Other/Eliminations" column primarily includes corporate expenses, assets and eliminations, as well as restructuring costs, asset impairment charges and certain other items that management believes are not indicative of the region's ongoing performance, if any. Intersegment sales are eliminated within each region.