Hayward (NYSE:HAYW) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.02 EPS

Hayward (NYSE:HAYW) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.02, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $255.22 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $239.40 million. Hayward had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 13.51%.The business’s revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.10 EPS. Hayward updated its FY 2026 guidance to 0.840-0.870 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Hayward’s conference call:

• Hayward delivered an outstanding Q1 with net sales up 12% to $255M, adjusted EBITDA +15% and adjusted diluted EPS +30% (to $0.13), while gross margin and adjusted EBITDA margin expanded year-over-year.
• The company raised 2026 guidance, now expecting ~5% net sales growth and adjusted diluted EPS up ~9%–13% to a range of $0.84–$0.87, citing Q1 outperformance and SG&A leverage.
• Near‑term margin pressure is possible from higher specialty metals, freight and resin costs and geopolitical/tariff effects; management has implemented targeted price increases and a ~2.5% surcharge but expects some Q2 gross‑margin compression before mitigation takes hold.
• Balance sheet progress: net leverage improved to 2.4x from 2.8x year‑over‑year, Q1 included seasonal cash use tied to the early‑buy program, and the firm expects roughly $200M free cash flow with continued flexibility for CapEx (~$40M), M&A, and buybacks.
• Underlying growth drivers remain intact—about 85% aftermarket exposure, product innovation (e.g., OmniX), commercial execution and targeted regional share gains supported positive volume and strength in discretionary categories.

Hayward Stock Performance

HAYW traded up $0.08 during trading on Thursday, reaching $14.98. 1,747,002 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,054,551. Hayward has a 52 week low of $13.04 and a 52 week high of $17.73. The stock has a market cap of $3.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.03, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $14.66 and a 200 day moving average of $15.58. The company has a current ratio of 2.94, a quick ratio of 2.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Hayward News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Hayward this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Hayward reported $0.13 EPS versus consensus $0.11 and revenue of $255.2M (vs. ~$239.4M est.), with revenue up ~11.5% year‑over‑year; the beat is the main catalyst for the stock move. Hayward (NYSE:HAYW) reports upbeat Q1 CY2026
• Positive Sentiment: Company issued FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $0.84–$0.87 and forecasted ~5% net sales growth — management reiterated forward visibility and raised confidence after the stronger quarter, which supports earnings momentum. Hayward forecasts 2026 net sales up about 5% and adjusted EPS of $0.84-$0.87 following Q1 outperformance
• Positive Sentiment: Management commentary and details from the earnings call/slide deck reinforced the beat — the call/transcript and slides provide color on pricing, demand trends and cost control that support the topline and margin outlook. Hayward (HAYW) Q1 2026 Earnings Transcript Earnings Call Transcript Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: FY guidance is essentially in line with Street estimates (consensus ~ $0.85 EPS), so while guidance confirms steady growth, it may not drive further large upgrades. Press Release & Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded Hayward from “strong‑buy” to “hold,” which could limit upside from some momentum traders and reduce near‑term buy-side pressure despite the beat. Zacks.com

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $15.00 price target (down from $16.00) on shares of Hayward in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Hayward from $19.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Hayward from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Zacks Research downgraded Hayward from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus restated a “buy” rating and set a $19.50 price objective (up from $19.00) on shares of Hayward in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Hayward

In other news, CEO Kevin Holleran sold 52,389 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.73, for a total value of $824,078.97. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 748,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,774,534.20. This represents a 6.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Eifion Jones sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.57, for a total value of $218,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 316,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,605,577. The trade was a 4.53% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 172,167 shares of company stock valued at $2,586,533. Company insiders own 4.73% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Hayward by 149.2% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 2,814 shares in the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Hayward during the fourth quarter valued at about $99,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in Hayward by 756.3% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,713 shares of the company’s stock valued at $104,000 after buying an additional 5,929 shares in the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC bought a new position in Hayward during the second quarter valued at about $151,000. Finally, Polymer Capital Management HK LTD bought a new position in Hayward during the third quarter valued at about $179,000.

Hayward Company Profile

Hayward Holdings, Inc is a leading manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial swimming pool equipment and related outdoor living products. The company designs, engineers and produces a comprehensive range of products that address water circulation, filtration, heating, sanitation, automation, lighting and cleaning needs for pools and spas. Hayward’s offerings include pumps, filters, heaters, salt and chemical sanitization systems, automation controls, lights, robotic cleaners and various accessories that serve both new pool construction and aftermarket renovation markets.

Hayward’s product portfolio is organized into several core categories.