Pool Corporation $POOL Shares Sold by Berkshire Hathaway Inc

Berkshire Hathaway Inc reduced its stake in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 11.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,068,885 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 390,000 shares during the period. Pool accounts for about 0.3% of Berkshire Hathaway Inc's investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Berkshire Hathaway Inc owned about 8.24% of Pool worth $702,007,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Boothbay Fund Management LLC boosted its stake in Pool by 77.4% in the fourth quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 2,338 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $535,000 after acquiring an additional 1,020 shares during the period. Armistice Capital LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $703,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC boosted its stake in Pool by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 8,584 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,964,000 after acquiring an additional 482 shares during the period. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Pool by 4,182.6% in the fourth quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 45,181 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $10,335,000 after acquiring an additional 44,126 shares during the period. Finally, Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Pool in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,585,000. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Pool News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles are centered on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool algae issue and related political coverage, which is unrelated to Pool Corporation’s business and is unlikely to have a direct impact on POOL shares.
• Neutral Sentiment: No company-specific earnings, guidance, analyst, or acquisition news was included in the latest headlines, so the stock’s move appears more likely tied to broader market sentiment than a fundamental update for Pool Corporation.

Pool Stock Performance

POOL opened at $194.34 on Thursday. The business's 50 day moving average is $197.94 and its 200-day moving average is $222.02. The stock has a market cap of $7.08 billion, a PE ratio of 17.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. Pool Corporation has a twelve month low of $172.68 and a twelve month high of $345.00.

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

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

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 14th. This is a positive change from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Pool's dividend payout ratio is presently 47.84%.

Insider Transactions at Pool

In other news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez bought 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $175.95 per share, with a total value of $1,759,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 40,108 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,057,002.60. This trade represents a 33.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John E. Stokely bought 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 acquisition, the director owned 16,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,133,363.80. This represents a 6.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought 21,989 shares of company stock worth $4,042,747 in the last three months. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

POOL has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Pool from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price target on Pool in a report on Friday, February 20th. Bank of America cut their price target on Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Pool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $261.38.

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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