Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Cuts Stock Holdings in Pool Corporation $POOL

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. reduced its stake in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 39.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 40,779 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 27,082 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Pool were worth $9,367,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of POOL. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Pool by 16.2% during 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 acquiring an additional 357,643 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Pool by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 438,476 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $135,958,000 after purchasing an additional 1,337 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its position in Pool by 0.7% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 356,856 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $110,650,000 after purchasing an additional 2,635 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Pool by 3.1% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 324,471 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $100,611,000 after purchasing an additional 9,874 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Pool by 11.5% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 301,343 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $93,437,000 after purchasing an additional 31,117 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool Stock Performance

Shares of POOL stock opened at $187.77 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.27, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.16. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $212.09 and a 200 day moving average of $237.58. Pool Corporation has a 52 week low of $184.50 and a 52 week high of $345.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Pool Corporation will post 11.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, April 29th that permits the company to buyback $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This is an increase from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director James D. Hope purchased 464 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $194.41 per share, with a total value of $90,206.24. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 3,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $715,039.98. This represents a 14.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $190.00 per share, with a total value of $1,900,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 30,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,720,520. This trade represents a 49.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased 22,024 shares of company stock valued at $4,424,071 over the last quarter. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on POOL. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Pool from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Pool from $232.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on shares of Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $265.13.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.

Pool 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.