GAMMA Investing LLC Purchases 259,002 Shares of Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL)

GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 33,549.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 259,774 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 259,002 shares during the quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC owned 0.69% of Pool worth $82,699,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Pool by 2,300.0% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new stake in Pool in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Pool in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in Pool by 790.9% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 98 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, FWL Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Pool in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on POOL. Wall Street Zen cut Pool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Pool in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "hold" rating and a $344.00 price objective for the company. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of Pool from $370.00 to $322.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Stephens reduced their price target on shares of Pool from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $300.00 price target on shares of Pool in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pool presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $336.22.

Insider Activity at Pool

In other Pool news, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of Pool stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total value of $385,245.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 9,667 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,045,105. This trade represents a 11.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 3.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Pool Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL traded down $0.97 during trading on Thursday, hitting $308.45. The stock had a trading volume of 635,095 shares, compared to its average volume of 407,081. Pool Co. has a 12 month low of $284.28 and a 12 month high of $395.60. The company has a market capitalization of $11.60 billion, a PE ratio of 27.34, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.20. The firm's fifty day moving average is $305.14 and its 200 day moving average is $332.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $1.32 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Pool Co. will post 11.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This is a positive change from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.90%.

Pool announced that its board has approved a share buyback program on Wednesday, April 30th that allows the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty retailer to buy up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

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.