Insider Buying: Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Director Acquires $99,981.00 in Stock

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Director David Whalen purchased 525 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was bought at an average price of $190.44 per share, for a total transaction of $99,981.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,936 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,701,771.84. This trade represents a 6.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Pool Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL opened at $175.24 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $208.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $233.48. Pool Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $173.62 and a fifty-two week high of $345.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.82 billion. Pool had a return on equity of 32.37% and a net margin of 7.57%.The business’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.32 earnings per share. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to buyback $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are 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 a positive change from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.00%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in Pool in the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Pool by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 122 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez bought 10,000 shares at $175.95, a sizable insider purchase that signals confidence in Pool Corporation’s outlook. SEC Form 4 filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director David Whalen also recently added 525 shares, reinforcing the pattern of insider buying around current trading levels. SEC Form 4 filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Pool’s latest earnings beat estimates on EPS, but revenue fell short of expectations, leaving investors with a mixed read on demand trends and execution.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock is still trading well below prior highs, and recent analyst revisions have generally been cautious, including lower price targets and hold-style ratings that suggest limited near-term upside.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on POOL shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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 report on Wednesday, April 8th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Pool from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price target on Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $261.38.

About Pool

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.