Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Price Target Raised to $235.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) had its target price raised by Stifel Nicolaus from $210.00 to $235.00 in a research report released on Monday, MarketBeat reports. They currently have a hold rating on the specialty retailer’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on POOL. Weiss Ratings cut Pool from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research raised shares of Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $264.50.

Pool Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of POOL stock opened at $214.79 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The firm has a market cap of $7.83 billion, a PE ratio of 19.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a 50-day moving average of $194.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $219.08. Pool has a 1-year low of $172.68 and a 1-year high of $345.00.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The business’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Pool will post 11.08 EPS for the current year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This is a positive change from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 14th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.84%.

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to buy up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez bought 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $175.95 per share, for a total transaction of $1,759,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 40,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,057,002.60. This represents a 33.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John E. Stokely purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $193.06 per share, with a total value of $193,060.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 16,230 shares in the company, valued at $3,133,363.80. This represents a 6.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders acquired 21,989 shares of company stock valued at $4,042,747. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pool

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Pool by 16.2% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $794,825,000 after buying an additional 357,643 shares in the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Pool by 3,831.9% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,001,987 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $457,955,000 after acquiring an additional 1,951,070 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in Pool by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,371,772 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $313,794,000 after acquiring an additional 23,736 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Pool by 21.6% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 837,658 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $191,614,000 after acquiring an additional 148,519 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Southpoint Capital Advisors LP boosted its stake in Pool by 66.7% in the first quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP now owns 500,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $101,165,000 after acquiring an additional 200,000 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus raised its price target on Pool Corporation (NASDAQ: POOL) to $235 from $210, implying additional upside from current levels and helping support the stock. Benzinga report on Stifel price target increase
• Neutral Sentiment: The other headlines in the feed are unrelated to Pool Corporation’s core business, mostly covering “pool” in a different context or general lifestyle items, and are unlikely to materially affect POOL shares.

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.