Pool Corporation $POOL Shares Sold by Swedbank AB

Key Points

• Swedbank AB cut its Pool Corporation stake by 27% in the fourth quarter, selling 37,334 shares and ending with 101,000 shares valued at about $23.1 million.
• Insiders were buying shares: Director James D. Hope and Director Manuel J. Perez both made recent purchases, and insiders bought 26,989 shares worth about $5.1 million over the last 90 days.
• Pool’s outlook mixed with analyst caution: several firms lowered price targets, and the stock currently carries a consensus Hold rating with an average target price of $261.38, even as the company boosted its quarterly dividend to $1.30 and authorized a $600 million share buyback.

Swedbank AB reduced its position in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 27.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 101,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 37,334 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned about 0.27% of Pool worth $23,104,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in POOL. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its position in shares of Pool by 78.6% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of Pool by 348.4% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Pool news, Director James D. Hope purchased 464 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $194.41 per share, with a total value of $90,206.24. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 3,678 shares in the company, valued at $715,039.98. This trade represents a 14.44% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez purchased 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $175.95 per share, with a total value of $1,759,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 40,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,057,002.60. This represents a 33.21% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders purchased 26,989 shares of company stock worth $5,067,747. 3.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Pool from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Bank of America dropped their price target on Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research raised Pool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price target on Pool in a research report on Friday, February 20th. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $261.38.

Pool Stock Performance

NASDAQ:POOL opened at $184.64 on Tuesday. Pool Corporation has a 1 year low of $172.68 and a 1 year high of $345.00. The stock has a market cap of $6.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.99, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a fifty day moving average of $203.59 and a 200-day moving average of $228.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 1.87.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.32 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, April 29th that permits the company to buyback $600.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 7.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is 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 dividend yield of 2.8%. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.84%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.