Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) Given Average Rating of “Reduce” by Analysts

Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the seven analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $2.85.

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Leslie’s in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Mizuho cut their price target on shares of Leslie’s from $4.00 to $3.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $3.00 price objective (up from $2.00) on shares of Leslie’s in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research upgraded Leslie’s from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Leslie’s from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 14th.

Leslie’s Stock Performance

Shares of Leslie’s stock opened at $8.66 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.06 million, a PE ratio of -0.29 and a beta of 1.65. Leslie’s has a 12 month low of $0.87 and a 12 month high of $13.57. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $5.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $2.71.

Leslie’s (NASDAQ:LESL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 13th. The company reported ($5.36) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($4.41) by ($0.95). The business had revenue of $184.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $162.48 million. As a group, analysts predict that Leslie’s will post -2.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Leslie’s

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Engineers Gate Manager LP boosted its stake in shares of Leslie’s by 309.7% during the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 61,474 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 46,468 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Leslie’s in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new stake in Leslie’s during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Barclays PLC bought a new stake in Leslie’s during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Scopia Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Leslie’s during the 2nd quarter valued at $41,000.

About Leslie’s

Leslie’s, Inc (NASDAQ: LESL) is the largest direct-to-consumer retailer of swimming pool supplies and related equipment in the United States. Through a network of more than 900 company-operated stores and a robust e-commerce platform, the company offers a comprehensive range of pool chemicals, cleaning tools, pumps, filters, heaters and pool accessories. In addition to product retailing, Leslie’s provides in-store and in-home water testing services, equipment installation, repair and ongoing maintenance programs designed to support both residential and commercial pool owners.

Founded in 1963 in North Miami Beach, Florida, Leslie’s has grown from a single neighborhood pool-supply shop into a national specialty retailer.