Key Points
- Director David Whalen bought 525 shares of Pool at $190.44 each, a $99,981 purchase that increased his direct holdings by 6.24%. The trade was disclosed in an SEC filing and may signal insider confidence.
- Pool shares were trading down 1.3% near $182.33, close to their 1-year low of $181.10 and well below both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The stock’s decline has left analysts cautious, with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $261.38.
- The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 per share from $1.25 and authorized a $600 million share repurchase program. Pool also beat EPS estimates in its latest quarter, even though revenue came in below expectations.
Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) Director David Whalen bought 525 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $190.44 per share, for a total transaction of $99,981.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 8,936 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,701,771.84. This represents a 6.24% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.
Pool Trading Down 1.3%
Shares of POOL opened at $182.33 on Wednesday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $209.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $235.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.77, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. Pool Corporation has a 1-year low of $181.10 and a 1-year high of $345.00.
Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 EPS for the current year.
Pool Increases Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 14th. This is a positive change from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Pool's payout ratio is presently 46.00%.
Pool announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pool
Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of POOL. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Pool by 3,831.9% during the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,001,987 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $457,955,000 after acquiring an additional 1,951,070 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Pool during the fourth quarter worth about $97,612,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Pool by 16.2% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $794,825,000 after acquiring an additional 357,643 shares in the last quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP bought a new stake in Pool during the fourth quarter worth about $68,625,000. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its stake in Pool by 254.6% during the fourth quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 339,716 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $77,710,000 after acquiring an additional 243,907 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company's stock.
Pool News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Director David G. Whalen disclosed a purchase of 525 shares at $190.44 each, a sign of insider confidence that can support investor sentiment. SEC Form 4 filing
- Neutral Sentiment: Pool began the week with another round of insider-buying coverage, reinforcing that management and directors appear willing to add shares near recent lows. Insider Buying: Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Director Purchases $193,060.00 in Stock
- Neutral Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus cut its price target on Pool from $240 to $210 and kept a hold rating, which suggests analysts see limited near-term upside even after the stock’s decline. Benzinga/The Fly report
- Neutral Sentiment: Other articles in the news feed are about unrelated “pool” topics or non-POOL companies, and should not materially affect Pool Corporation’s shares.
- Negative Sentiment: No fresh earnings, guidance, or major contract news was reported in these articles, so the main catalyst appears to be ongoing concern about valuation and demand expectations rather than a new fundamental boost.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on POOL shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 target price on shares of Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company cut 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. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Oppenheimer cut their target price on shares of Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective 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. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pool presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $261.38.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Pool
About Pool
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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