Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Director John Stokely Purchases 1,000 Shares

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Director John Stokely bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $193.06 per share, with a total value of $193,060.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 16,230 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,133,363.80. This trade represents a 6.57% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Pool Stock Performance

Shares of Pool stock opened at $187.77 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 1.87. Pool Corporation has a one year low of $184.50 and a one year high of $345.00. The company has a market cap of $6.84 billion, a PE ratio of 17.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $212.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $237.58.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.09. The company 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 company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. This is a positive change from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 14th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.00%.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pool

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in Pool by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 122 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Pool during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA grew its position in Pool by 78.6% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new position in Pool during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its stake in Pool by 348.4% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Manuel J. Perez de la Mesa bought 10,000 shares for about $1.9 million, a sizable increase in his stake that can signal strong insider confidence in Pool Corporation’s outlook. SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director John E. Stokely purchased 1,000 shares, adding to his position and reinforcing the view that management insiders see value at current levels. SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director James D. Hope also bought shares, further adding to the insider-buying cluster that often supports investor sentiment. SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a note titled “Pool Corporation: Abrupt CEO Change Doesn’t Disrupt Earnings (Rating Upgrade),” suggesting at least one analyst sees the leadership change as manageable and the earnings outlook still intact. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several unrelated articles about pools, pool financing, and pool cleaners appeared in the news feed, but they do not appear to be direct company-specific catalysts for Pool Corporation.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on POOL shares. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Pool from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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. Finally, Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $265.13.

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.