Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Sells 44,436 Shares of Pool Corporation $POOL

Key Points

• Massachusetts Financial Services Co. reduced its stake in Pool Corporation by 7.8%, selling 44,436 shares to finish the quarter with 524,800 shares (about 1.41% of the company), valued at roughly $120.0 million.
• Insiders were active and mixed: SVP Romain Kenneth G. St bought 5,560 shares at $218.67 (≈$1.22M), while CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares at $220, and corporate insiders now own about 3% of the stock.
• EPS miss and outlook: Pool reported $0.84 EPS vs. $0.99 expected and slightly lower revenue; analysts are split (average rating "Hold") with an average target of $279.63, and the company pays a $1.25 quarterly dividend ($5.00 annual, ~2.3% yield).

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lessened its position in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 7.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 524,800 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 44,436 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned approximately 1.41% of Pool worth $120,048,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Pool in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in Pool in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new stake in Pool in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in Pool by 133.3% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 126 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Pool by 164.4% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 156 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Pool news, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St bought 5,560 shares of Pool stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $218.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,215,805.20. Following the completion of the acquisition, the senior vice president owned 82,845 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,115,716.15. This trade represents a 7.19% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $605,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 18,039 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,968,580. The trade was a 13.23% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

POOL has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Pool in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Pool from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Pool from $240.00 to $232.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $279.63.

Pool Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of POOL stock opened at $217.33 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $222.84 and a 200-day moving average of $246.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. Pool Corporation has a 12-month low of $195.49 and a 12-month high of $345.00. The company has a market capitalization of $7.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.26.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.99 by ($0.15). Pool had a return on equity of 31.49% and a net margin of 7.67%.The company had revenue of $982.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $999.14 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.97 EPS. The firm's revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th were given a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Pool's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.13%.

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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