Pool Corporation $POOL Stock: Inspire Investing LLC Reduces Position

Key Points

• Inspire Investing LLC reduced its Pool Corporation stake by 38.4% in the third quarter, selling 5,267 shares and retaining 8,460 shares valued at approximately $1.37 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high at 98.99%, with several major investors—including BlackRock, Bank of New York Mellon, and Bank of America—building new positions.
• Pool exceeded quarterly expectations with $3.40 in EPS and $1.50 billion in revenue, while analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating and a $227.70 price target; the company also offers a $5.20 annual dividend yielding about 2.7%.

Inspire Investing LLC decreased its position in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 38.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,460 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 5,267 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC's holdings in Pool were worth $1,369,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in POOL. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Pool in the second quarter valued at approximately $866,576,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Pool during the 2nd quarter worth $148,216,000. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new position in Pool during the 2nd quarter worth $93,011,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Pool during the 2nd quarter worth $50,543,000. Finally, Southpoint Capital Advisors LP increased its stake in Pool by 66.7% in the first quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP now owns 500,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $101,165,000 after purchasing an additional 200,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Pool Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of Pool stock opened at $195.23 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 1.05. Pool Corporation has a 52-week low of $152.70 and a 52-week high of $297.50. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $174.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $203.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 2.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The specialty retailer reported $3.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.36 by $0.04. Pool had a net margin of 7.27% and a return on equity of 33.50%. The firm had revenue of $1.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.39 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Pool Corporation will post 10.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 13th were issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 13th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on POOL shares. Citigroup reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Pool in a report on Monday, October 19th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Pool from $165.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of Pool in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Stephens increased their price objective on Pool from $200.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $250.00 target price on Pool in a research note on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $227.70.

Trending Headlines about Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo analyst commentary projects that Pool Corporation (POOL) shares could rise, potentially improving investor sentiment toward the pool-equipment distributor. Pool Stock Price Expected to Rise, Wells Fargo Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens also expects the stock price to increase, adding a second constructive analyst view. The reports do not provide enough detail to assess the price targets or assumptions behind the calls. Pool Stock Price Expected to Rise, Stephens Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s latest reported quarter modestly exceeded earnings and revenue expectations, which may help offset concerns about softer housing and discretionary spending trends.

Pool Profile

Pool Corporation, doing business as POOLCORP, is a wholesale distributor of swimming pool and outdoor living products. The company supplies pool contractors, retailers, builders, and service professionals with products used to construct, renovate, maintain, and enhance residential and commercial pools.

Its product offerings include swimming pool equipment, pumps, filters, heaters, cleaners, lighting, chemicals, replacement parts, and maintenance supplies. POOLCORP also distributes products for outdoor living, including patio and recreational items, as well as irrigation and landscape-related supplies in selected markets.

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Covington, Louisiana, POOLCORP serves customers through a network of distribution centers and sales operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

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