Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Decreases Stock Position in Pool Corporation $POOL

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management reduced its Pool Corporation stake by 39.9% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 40,779 shares valued at about $9.37 million.
• Insider activity has been mostly supportive, with directors buying shares recently, including John E. Stokely’s purchase of 1,000 shares and Manuel J. Perez de la Mesa’s larger 10,000-share buy. Overall, insiders bought 22,024 shares worth $4.42 million over the last three months.
• Pool reported better-than-expected EPS of $1.43, announced a $600 million share buyback, and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 per share. Analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold with a target price of $265.13.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. cut its position in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 39.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 40,779 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 27,082 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned about 0.11% of Pool worth $9,367,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Pool in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in Pool by 78.6% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the second quarter worth about $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in shares of Pool in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pool in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Pool

In other news, Director John E. Stokely acquired 1,000 shares of Pool stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $193.06 per share, for a total transaction of $193,060.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,133,363.80. This trade represents a 6.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $605,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,968,580. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders bought 22,024 shares of company stock worth $4,424,071. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Oppenheimer dropped 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. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Pool from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $265.13.

More Pool News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Manuel J. Perez de la Mesa bought 10,000 shares for about $1.9 million, a sizable increase in his stake that can signal strong insider confidence in Pool Corporation’s outlook. SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director John E. Stokely purchased 1,000 shares, adding to his position and reinforcing the view that management insiders see value at current levels. SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director James D. Hope also bought shares, further adding to the insider-buying cluster that often supports investor sentiment. SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a note titled “Pool Corporation: Abrupt CEO Change Doesn't Disrupt Earnings (Rating Upgrade),” suggesting at least one analyst sees the leadership change as manageable and the earnings outlook still intact. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several unrelated articles about pools, pool financing, and pool cleaners appeared in the news feed, but they do not appear to be direct company-specific catalysts for Pool Corporation.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL opened at $187.77 on Monday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $212.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $237.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.27, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.16. Pool Corporation has a one year low of $184.50 and a one year high of $345.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $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. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Pool Corporation will post 11.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, April 29th that allows the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. This is an increase from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 14th. Pool's dividend payout ratio is presently 46.00%.

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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