Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the twelve research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have issued a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $264.50.

A number of analysts have commented on POOL shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Pool from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen raised Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Pool news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez purchased 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $175.95 per share, for a total transaction of $1,759,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 40,108 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,057,002.60. The trade was a 33.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director James D. Hope purchased 464 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $194.41 per share, with a total value of $90,206.24. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $715,039.98. The trade was a 14.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired a total of 21,989 shares of company stock worth $4,042,747 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Pool

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Pool during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its position in Pool by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 122 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in Pool by 78.6% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Pool by 133.3% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 126 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are flagging that pool-channel demand remains weak, with Pentair’s lowered guidance cited as evidence of ongoing inventory destocking and softer conditions across the pool industry. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks preview said Pool Corp. is expected to grow earnings, but also warned the setup does not suggest a likely earnings beat, which may be tempering investor enthusiasm ahead of its next report. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Broader coverage around the pool industry suggests channel pressure may persist, which is a negative read-through for Pool Corporation’s sales and inventory trends. Article Title

Pool Trading Down 3.2%

NASDAQ POOL opened at $201.17 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $7.33 billion, a PE ratio of 18.51, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. Pool has a 12 month low of $172.68 and a 12 month high of $345.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $194.75 and a 200-day moving average of $217.57.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Pool will post 11.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 14th. This is a boost from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Pool’s payout ratio is presently 47.84%.

Pool declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, April 29th that allows the company to buyback $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the specialty retailer to repurchase up to 7.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

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.