BUZZ-Whirlpool of India hits lower limit as parent plans to sell 20% stake

** Shares of Whirlpool of India WHIR.NS lower band of exchange-mandated trading limit of 20%, drops to 1260.8 rupees

** Home appliance maker said on Thursday its parent Whirlpool Corp WHR.N intends to reduce stake in the India unit to about 20% from current 51% stake

** Last year on Feb 20 and Feb 21, WHIR shares fell ~5.4% as parent sold 24% stake in the Indian unit

** Stock set for sharpest intraday fall

** Avg rating of 12 analysts covering the stock is "Hold" and median PT is 2,050 rupees, ~62.6% higher than current price - LSEG data

** WHIR rose 34.6% in 2024, snapping three years of losses