GSA Capital Partners LLP Purchases Shares of 6,612 Pool Corporation $POOL

Key Points

• GSA Capital Partners disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Pool Corporation, buying 6,612 shares worth about $1.51 million. The filing comes as institutional ownership in Pool remains extremely high at 98.99%.
• Pool reported quarterly EPS of $1.43, topping analyst expectations, and revenue rose 6.2% year over year to $1.14 billion. The company also set FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS.
• The company boosted its quarterly dividend to $1.30 per share and authorized a $600 million share buyback, signaling confidence in the stock. Still, analysts remain cautious overall, with a Hold consensus rating and an average target price of $261.38.

GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 6,612 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,512,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in Pool by 78.6% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in Pool in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pool Stock Up 1.8%

NASDAQ POOL opened at $181.83 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $205.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $230.49. Pool Corporation has a one year low of $172.68 and a one year high of $345.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 1.87. The company has a market cap of $6.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.16.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.09. Pool had a return on equity of 32.37% and a net margin of 7.57%.The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This is an increase from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.84%.

Pool announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to repurchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Key Stories Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pool shares had recently shown some rebound momentum, with GuruFocus noting a 3.4% move higher on May 18 and highlighting the stock’s GF Score of 78, which may support investor interest. Pool Corp (POOL) Shares Surge 3.4% -- What GF Score of 78 Tells Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Several lifestyle and shopping articles referenced pools, pool noodles, and pool-cleaning products, but these are not direct business catalysts for Pool Corporation.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered Pool’s Q2 2026, Q2 2027, and FY2028 EPS estimates and kept a Hold rating, signaling muted expectations for earnings growth.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock is still trading well below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which suggests broader technical weakness remains a headwind for investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on POOL. Zacks Research raised Pool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings lowered Pool from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $261.38.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Pool news, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $605,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,039 shares in the company, valued at $3,968,580. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David G. Whalen bought 525 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was bought at an average price of $190.44 per share, with a total value of $99,981.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 8,936 shares in the company, valued at $1,701,771.84. This represents a 6.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought 32,549 shares of company stock worth $6,283,552 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Pool Company Profile

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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