Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd Acquires 3,160 Shares of Pool Corporation $POOL

Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 105.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,160 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,160 shares during the period. Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd’s holdings in Pool were worth $1,409,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of Pool by 78.6% in 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 in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pool in the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in Pool by 348.4% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in Pool in the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. 98.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on POOL. Weiss Ratings lowered Pool from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price objective on Pool in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pool currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $261.38.

Pool News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate announcements from non-U.S. companies involving share pools, buybacks, and incentive-pool changes, which do not appear related to Pool Corporation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Local news about public pool openings and pricing changes, which is unrelated to Pool Corporation’s business performance.
• Neutral Sentiment: Crypto articles referencing “miner pools,” which have no direct bearing on Pool Corporation.

Pool Price Performance

NASDAQ:POOL opened at $184.64 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $203.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $229.57. Pool Corporation has a 52 week low of $172.68 and a 52 week high of $345.00. The stock has a market cap of $6.73 billion, a PE ratio of 16.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.16. 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.09. Pool had a return on equity of 32.37% and a net margin of 7.57%.The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. The business’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, analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This is a positive change from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.84%.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Pool

In related news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez bought 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $175.95 per share, for a total transaction of $1,759,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 40,108 shares in the company, valued at $7,057,002.60. The trade was a 33.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director David G. Whalen bought 525 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $190.44 per share, with a total value of $99,981.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 8,936 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,701,771.84. This represents a 6.24% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders bought 32,549 shares of company stock worth $6,283,552. Insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

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.