Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) Shares Sold by Fayez Sarofim & Co

Fayez Sarofim & Co cut its holdings in shares of Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 43.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,096 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 850 shares during the period. Fayez Sarofim & Co's holdings in Pool were worth $374,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Rakuten Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of Pool by 2,300.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of Pool by 76.9% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 138 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the 3rd quarter valued at about $60,000. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of POOL stock traded up $2.89 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $291.59. The company had a trading volume of 824,164 shares, compared to its average volume of 382,486. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 2.05. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $323.54 and a 200-day moving average of $344.42. The company has a market capitalization of $11.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.85, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.13. Pool Co. has a 12-month low of $284.28 and a 12-month high of $395.60.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by ($0.10). Pool had a net margin of 8.18% and a return on equity of 31.11%. The business had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Pool Co. will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.65%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. Pool's dividend payout ratio is presently 42.55%.

Insider Activity at Pool

In other Pool news, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total transaction of $385,245.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 9,667 shares in the company, valued at $3,045,105. This represents a 11.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total value of $3,460,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 62,577 shares in the company, valued at $21,651,642. This trade represents a 13.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on POOL shares. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Pool from $340.00 to $330.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Pool from $360.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Pool in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $344.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Pool from $325.00 to $310.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Pool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $348.33.

About Pool

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.