You are given a text that consists of multiple sentences. Your task is to perform abstractive summarization on this text. Use your understanding of the content to express the main ideas and crucial details in a shorter, coherent, and natural sounding text. 
Text: Our actual results could differ materially from these statements due to many factors discussed in our latest 10-Q and other periodic reports.
We believe these measures are important indicators of our operations as they exclude items that may not be indicative of results from our ongoing business operations.
We also think the adjusted measures will provide you a better baseline for analyzing trends in our ongoing business operations.
Listeners are directed to the supplemental information package posted on the Investor Relations section of our website for the reconciliation of non-GAAP items to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.
At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode.
As a reminder, we ask that participants ask no more than two questions.
While lessened, disruptions from pandemic do in fact remain along with volatile industry dynamics and numerous global supply chain constraints.
Having said that, our impressive results throughout this entire period and again in Q2 demonstrate the strong execution of our global teams and the resiliency of our business model.
Now, turning to our second quarter highlights on slide four.
We delivered very strong revenue growth of 32% year over year, which also represents growth above 2019 levels, driven by robust and sustained consumer demand and the execution of our pricing actions.
Next, our decisive response plan to address volatile industry dynamics and broad supply constraints delivered ongoing earnings per share of $6.64, a $4.57 improvement year over year.
Ongoing EBIT margin of 11.4%, a year-over-year improvement of 640 basis points overcoming 400 basis points of cost inflation.
Additionally, we generated positive free cash flow of $769 million, led by strong earnings and the successful completion of a partial tender offer of our Whirlpool China business and the divestiture of our Turkish subsidiary.
These global results were driven by substantial EBIT growth and margin expansion across every region.
The execution of these actions and the sustained consumer demand delivered very strong Q2 results and give us the confidence to significantly raise our guidance to approximately $26 per share.
Turning to slide five, we show the drivers of our second quarter EBIT margin.
Price and mix delivered 600 basis points of margin expansion driven by reduced promotions and the further implementation of a previously announced cost-based pricing actions.
Additionally, structural cost takeout actions, higher volumes, and ongoing cost productivity initiatives delivered 550 basis points of net cost margin improvement.
These margin benefits were partially offset by a raw material inflation, particularly steel and resins, which resulted in an unfavorable impact of 400 basis points.
Lastly, increased investment in marketing and technology and the continued impact from currency in Latin America impacted margin by a combined 100 basis points.
Overall, we are very pleased to be delivering even above our long-term EBIT margin commitment and are confident this positive momentum will continue to drive outstanding results throughout 2021 and beyond.
Turning to slide seven, I'll review our second quarter regional results.
In North America, we delivered 22% revenue growth driven by sustained strong consumer demand in the region.
Additionally, we delivered another quarter of very strong EBIT margin driven by volume growth and the disciplined execution of our go-to-market actions, and the previously announced cost-based price increases that were fully in place as we exited the quarter.
Demand for our products remains high as we continue to produce in a constrained environment that we now expect to persist throughout 2021.
Lastly, the region's outstanding results demonstrate the fundamental strength and agility of our business model.
Turning to slide eight, I'll review our second quarter results for our Europe, Middle East, and Africa region.
Double-digit growth in all key countries drove a fourth consecutive quarter of revenue growth above 10% in the region.
Additionally, the region delivered year-over-year EBIT improvement of $97 million led by increased revenue and strong cost take-out overcoming inflationary pressures.
These results demonstrate the progress we are making toward our long-term goals.
Turning to slide nine, I'll review our second quarter results for our Latin America region.
Net sales increased 76% led by strong demand across Brazil and Mexico, and the continued growth of our direct-to-consumer business.
The region delivered very strong EBIT margins of 9.7% with continued robust demand and the execution of cost-based price actions, offsetting inflation and currency devaluation.
Turning to slide 10, I'll review our second quarter results for our Asia region.
In Asia, revenue decline of 1% reflects the successful partial tender offer for our Whirlpool China business which was completed in May.
Additionally, as COVID cases surged in India, we were yet again faced with shutdowns significantly impacting the industry.
However, in June, as we exited the quarter, we began to see demand recover.
Despite this disruption, the region delivered year-over-year EBIT growth of $23 million led by pricing and cost productivity actions.
Turning to slide 12, Marc and I will discuss our revised full-year 2021 guidance.
While the macroeconomic environment remains uncertain and volatile, we are confident that sustained strong consumer demand and our previously announced cost-based pricing actions will offset the impact of global supply constraints and rising input costs.
We are raising our guidance and are expecting to drive net sales growth of, approximately, 16% and EBIT margin of 10.5% plus.
Additionally, we now expect to deliver $1.7 billion in free cash flow or 7.5% of net sales, driven by higher earnings and the completed divestitures.
Excluding the impact of divestitures, we expect to deliver on our long-term goal of free cash flow at 6% of net sales.
Finally, we are significantly raising our earnings per share guidance to approximately $26, a year-over-year increase of over 40%.
Turning to slide 13, we show the drivers of our revised EBIT margin guidance.
We continue to expect 600 basis points of margin expansion driven by price and mix as we demonstrate the disciplined execution of our go-to-market strategy and capture the benefits of our previously announced cost-based pricing actions.
We have increased our expectation for net cost to 175 basis points as we realize further efficiencies from higher revenues and strong cost takeout initiatives.
As we closely monitor cost inflation globally, particularly in steel and resins, we continue to expect our business to be negatively impacted by about $1 billion due to peak increases to materialize in the third quarter.
Increased investments in marketing and technology and unfavorable currency, primarily in Latin America, are expected to impact the margin by 125 basis points.
Overall, based on our track record, we are confident in our ability to continue to navigate this uncertain environment, and delivered 0.5%-plus EBIT margin, representing our fourth consecutive year of margin expansion.
Turning to slide 14 we show our updated industry and regional EBIT guidance for the year.
We have increased our North America industry expectation to 10% plus to reflect the continued demand strength.
We continue to expect to see demand strength driven from broader home nesting trends and an under-supplied housing market.
Additionally, we have updated the EBIT guidance of our North America region to reflect the benefits of increased cost efficiencies, which are more than offsetting increased cost from logistics, labor, and operational inefficiencies of producing in a heavily constrained environment.
This brings our EBIT guidance for North America to approximately 17%.
Lastly, we continue to expect to deliver strong growth and significant EBIT expansion across our international regions with each region contributing to our global EBIT margin of 10.5% plus.
Turning to slide 15, we will discuss the drivers of our updated 2021 free cash flow.
We now expect to drive free cash flow of approximately $1.7 billion, an increase of $450 million.
Driven by expectations for stronger top line growth and improved EBIT margins, we increased our cash earnings guidance by $250 million.
Next, we have reflected the benefit from the divestitures completed in the quarter.
This represents free cash flow generation of 7.5% of sales delivering above our long-term goal of 6%.
Turning to slide 16, we provide an update on our capital allocation priorities for 2021.
We continue to expect to invest over $1 billion in capital expenditures and research and development, highlighting our commitment to driving innovation and growth in the future.
This includes industry-leading externally recognized innovation, such as our newly launched 2-in-1 Removable Agitator in our top-load laundry machine in North America and the launch of new products in EMEA, such as our new built-in refrigerator, which is recognized as the quietest built-in fridge in the marketplace.
Next, with a clear focus on returning strong levels of cash to shareholders and a signal of our confidence in the business, we expect to increase our rate of share repurchases in the second half of 2021 to at or above $300 million.
Lastly, we repaid a $300 million maturing bond and issued our inaugural sustainability bond, focusing on actions to drive positive environmental and social impacts.
This milestone further advances our global sustainability strategy and reflects our core philosophy that sound corporate citizenship and environmental performance are good for business and underscores our leadership position in our industry as we continue our constant pursuit of improving life at home.
And let me just recap what you heard over the past few minutes.
Q2 again impressively demonstrated our ability to operate in a very volatile environment and delivered very strong operating results.
Sustained healthy market demand and strong operational execution give us the confidence to increase our guidance for revenue, EBIT, earnings per share, and free cash flow.
Next, we remain unwavering in our commitment to drive strong shareholder value and return cash to shareholders.
Lastly, as we look beyond 2021, we firmly believe we have demonstrated that our business is structurally improved and well positioned to again build on our record results.

user
whirlpool delivers impressive q2 results and significantly raises full-year guidance.
qtrly ongoing (non-gaap) earnings per diluted share of $6.64.
sees fy21 net sales growth at about 16% from about 13%.
qtrly net sales growth of about 32%.

assistant