AdvisorShares Investments LLC Acquires New Shares in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL)

AdvisorShares Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 1,350 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $460,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of POOL. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Pool by 2,300.0% in the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pool in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in shares of Pool by 76.9% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 138 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Pool during the third quarter worth $60,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Pool Stock Up 3.5 %

Pool stock traded up $10.34 during trading on Friday, hitting $306.69. 365,845 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 384,927. The company has a market capitalization of $11.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.20. The business's 50 day moving average is $318.71 and its 200 day moving average is $342.31. Pool Co. has a 52 week low of $284.28 and a 52 week high of $395.60. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.42 by ($0.10). Pool had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 8.18%. The firm had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.85 EPS. The business's revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Pool Co. will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.63%. This is a boost from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.90%.

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 30th that permits the company to buyback $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Pool from $325.00 to $310.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Pool from $370.00 to $322.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $300.00 price target on Pool in a report on Friday, April 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Pool in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $344.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $300.00 target price on Pool in a report on Friday, April 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $336.22.

Insider Transactions at Pool

In related news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of Pool stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total value of $3,460,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 62,577 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,651,642. The trade was a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total value of $385,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 9,667 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,045,105. The trade was a 11.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Pool Company Profile

Pool Corporation distributes swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products in the United States and internationally. The company offers maintenance products, including chemicals, supplies, and pool accessories; repair and replacement parts for pool equipment, such as cleaners, filters, heaters, pumps, and lights; and building materials, such as concrete, plumbing and electrical components, functional and decorative pool surfaces, decking materials, tiles, hardscapes, and natural stones for pool installations and remodeling.