Handelsbanken Fonder AB Sells 59,160 Shares of Pool Corporation $POOL

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB reduced its Pool Corporation stake by 37.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 59,160 shares and leaving it with 96,884 shares worth about $22.2 million.
• Pool reported better-than-expected earnings for the latest quarter, posting $1.43 EPS versus the $1.34 consensus, though revenue came in below expectations at $1.14 billion.
• The company announced a $600 million share buyback and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 per share, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its stake in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 37.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 96,884 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 59,160 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned approximately 0.26% of Pool worth $22,162,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of POOL. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new stake in Pool in the 1st quarter valued at $400,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Pool by 237.9% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 17,390 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $5,536,000 after acquiring an additional 12,244 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Pool during the 1st quarter worth about $639,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Pool by 164.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 156 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Pool by 201.2% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,012 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $639,000 after acquiring an additional 1,344 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Pool

In other news, Director John E. Stokely bought 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $193.06 per share, for a total transaction of $193,060.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 16,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,133,363.80. This trade represents a 6.57% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director David G. Whalen acquired 525 shares of the 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 transaction, the director directly owned 8,936 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,701,771.84. This represents a 6.24% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have acquired a total of 32,549 shares of company stock worth $6,283,552 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on POOL shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Zacks Research raised shares of Pool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Pool from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $261.38.

Pool Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of Pool stock opened at $181.83 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $205.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $230.49. Pool Corporation has a 12-month low of $172.68 and a 12-month high of $345.00.

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

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This is an increase from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Pool's dividend payout ratio is 47.84%.

Key Headlines 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.

Pool 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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