Pool Corporation $POOL Stock Position Boosted by Aberdeen Group plc

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc significantly increased its holdings in Pool Corporation by 112.3%, acquiring an additional 17,515 shares, bringing its total to 33,110 shares valued at approximately $10.4 million.
• Pool Corporation has announced a quarterly dividend of $1.25 per share, set to be paid on August 28th, and has a dividend yield of 1.5%.
• The company reported earnings of $5.17 per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations, and projected FY 2025 guidance between 10.700-11.200 EPS.

Aberdeen Group plc increased its holdings in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 112.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 33,110 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 17,515 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.09% of Pool worth $10,427,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of POOL. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Pool by 0.3% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,456,246 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,418,646,000 after purchasing an additional 12,795 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in Pool by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,284,918 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $409,054,000 after acquiring an additional 44,897 shares during the period. Berkshire Hathaway Inc grew its stake in shares of Pool by 48.2% in the 4th quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 598,689 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $204,117,000 after purchasing an additional 194,632 shares during the last quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Pool in the first quarter valued at approximately $168,735,000. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new stake in shares of Pool during the first quarter worth approximately $144,901,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Pool Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL traded down $3.1050 during trading on Monday, reaching $320.6250. 52,881 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 517,409. Pool Corporation has a 12-month low of $282.22 and a 12-month high of $395.60. The firm has a market cap of $11.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 2.52. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $306.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $313.35.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The specialty retailer reported $5.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.12 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.78 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.79 billion. Pool had a net margin of 7.79% and a return on equity of 30.99%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.99 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2025 guidance at 10.700-11.200 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to repurchase up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 14th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Pool from $310.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Pool from $322.00 to $346.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Stephens cut their target price on Pool from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Pool from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Pool currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $342.14.

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.