European sales make Whirpool stronger

The income from the old continent grew with 10%.

 Whirlpool Corp. (WHR), a maker of household appliances, said
second-quarter earnings from continuing operations rose 60% to $161 million, or
$2 a share, from $100 million, or $1.26 a share, a year earlier. The company
said the strong performance reflects better cost controls, productivity
improvements and a lower tax rate. Sales climbed 3% to $4.9 billion, Whirlpool
said.
The company said its international businesses are continuing
to execute " extremely well" but noted that weak industry demand and
higher material prices in the U.S. have hurt its business there in the past
year.
Whirpool said it continues to expect 2007 earnings from
continuing operations in the range of $8 to $8.50 a share. It added it sees
cost savings of more than $400 million from the Maytag acquisition during the
year.