What happened Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR) shareholders beat a rising market last month. Their stock rose 16% in March compared to a 4.2% increase in the S&P 500, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The rally added to impressive short-term gains for the kitchen and laundry appliance leader, whose stock is up over 20% so far in 2021. Image source: Getty Images. So what Investors gained confidence in an economic rebound last month, in part supported by a flood of federal stimulus support to consumers. Whirlpool's sales held up well through the pandemic as the housing market rose and as people prioritized spending around the home. The expectation is that these trends will continue lifting its earnings deep into 2021 . Now what That optimism will be tested when investors get a chance to review Whirlpool's next earnings report, slated for April 22. That announcement will include an update to management's 2021 outlook that currently calls for sales to rise by about 6%. If you believe Wall Street's optimism, then strengthening demand trends since that forecast was issued in late January imply an upgrade to that already bullish prediction in a few weeks. 10 stocks we like better than WhirlpoolWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Whirlpool wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 24, 2021 Demitri Kalogeropoulos has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source