Pool Corporation $POOL Shares Sold by Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd

Key Points

• Swiss Life Asset Management cut its Pool Corporation stake by 78% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 1,665 shares worth about $381,000.
• Despite the sale, other institutional activity was mixed and insider buying was notable: two Pool directors recently purchased shares, including a $1.76 million buy by Manuel J. Perez de la Mesa.
• Pool reported better-than-expected EPS of $1.43 last quarter, boosted its quarterly dividend to $1.30 per share, and authorized a $600 million share buyback plan, though several analysts have trimmed price targets and the stock’s average rating remains Hold.

Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd reduced its stake in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 78.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,665 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 5,899 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd's holdings in Pool were worth $381,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of Pool in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its stake in shares of Pool by 78.6% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in shares of Pool by 133.3% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 126 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Pool

In other news, Director James D. Hope purchased 464 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $194.41 per share, for a total transaction of $90,206.24. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at $715,039.98. The trade was a 14.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez purchased 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $175.95 per share, for a total transaction of $1,759,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 40,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,057,002.60. This trade represents a 33.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired 32,549 shares of company stock valued at $6,283,552 over the last three months. 3.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A Pool director bought $1.76 million of stock, which can signal management confidence in the company’s outlook and support investor sentiment. Insider Buying: Pool NASDAQ: POOL Director Purchases $1,759,500.00 in Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2028 EPS estimate slightly to $1.73 from $1.71, suggesting a bit more confidence in longer-term earnings. Pool Corporation analyst estimate updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Other Zacks updates were mixed, with small cuts to Q4 2026, Q1 2027, Q3 2027, and FY2027 earnings estimates, pointing to only modest changes rather than a major outlook shift. Pool Corporation analyst estimate updates
• Negative Sentiment: The lowered near-term earnings estimates may pressure sentiment if investors focus on softer profit expectations in the coming quarters. Pool Corporation analyst estimate updates

Pool Price Performance

NASDAQ POOL opened at $175.35 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $207.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $232.64. Pool Corporation has a 12 month low of $172.70 and a 12 month high of $345.00. The company has a market capitalization of $6.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.13, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.16.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 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 business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, April 29th that permits the company to buyback $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This is an increase from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

POOL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Pool from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on shares of Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. Four equities research 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 company currently 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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