Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have given a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $308.00.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on POOL shares. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Pool from $295.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Cfra upgraded shares of Pool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $304.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, December 22nd. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Pool in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $250.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Guggenheim started coverage on shares of Pool in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pool in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Pool during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pool in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in shares of Pool during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of Pool stock opened at $265.03 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $9.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.67 and a beta of 1.23. Pool has a 52-week low of $226.10 and a 52-week high of $374.74. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $242.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $281.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 2.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.46 billion. Pool had a return on equity of 31.40% and a net margin of 7.77%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.26 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Pool will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 12th. Pool’s payout ratio is presently 45.58%.

Pool Company Profile

Pool Corporation is a leading wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related outdoor living products. Headquartered in Covington, Louisiana, the company serves a diverse customer base that includes service professionals, independent retailers, high-volume builders, and national retail chains. Pool Corporation’s extensive branch network enables it to maintain strong local customer relationships while leveraging its scale to source products efficiently from manufacturers around the world.

The company’s product portfolio spans pool and spa chemicals, water treatment equipment, pumps, filters, heaters, automation and control systems, liners, safety covers, and cleaning accessories.