Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Upgraded to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on POOL. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Pool from $240.00 to $232.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Cfra raised shares of Pool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $304.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Pool from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 target price on shares of Pool in a report on Friday, February 20th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Pool currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $281.50.

Pool Stock Performance

Shares of POOL opened at $200.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 2.24. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $241.25 and a two-hundred day moving average of $260.31. The stock has a market cap of $7.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.25. Pool has a one year low of $197.68 and a one year high of $345.00.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.15). Pool had a net margin of 7.67% and a return on equity of 31.49%. The firm had revenue of $982.21 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $999.14 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.97 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Pool will post 11.32 EPS for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.13%.

Insider Transactions at Pool

In other news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $205.00 per share, with a total value of $1,025,000.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 110,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,572,140. This trade represents a 4.76% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St bought 5,560 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $218.67 per share, with a total value of $1,215,805.20. Following the completion of the acquisition, the senior vice president owned 82,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,115,716.15. This represents a 7.19% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of POOL. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in Pool during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in Pool by 78.6% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

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.