Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Increases Stake in Pool Corporation $POOL

Key Points

• Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its Pool Corporation stake by 607.5% in the first quarter, buying 121,500 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 141,500 shares valued at about $28.6 million.
• Pool reported better-than-expected earnings of $1.43 per share on April 23, while revenue rose 6.2% year over year. The company also set FY2026 EPS guidance at 10.87 to 11.17.
• The company announced a $600 million share buyback and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 per share, lifting the annualized yield to about 2.5%.

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. increased its stake in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 607.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 141,500 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 121,500 shares during the period. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. owned 0.39% of Pool worth $28,630,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pool by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 270 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Pool by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 1,051 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $240,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Pool by 4.8% in the second quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,163 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of 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. Finally, Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Pool by 1.1% during the first quarter. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,840 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $979,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Key Pool News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several consumer-facing articles highlight pool ownership and backyard entertainment, including a discounted robotic pool cleaner and a swim-up bar feature, which may reinforce seasonal interest in pool maintenance and accessories. Score Up to 38% Off a Beatbot Robotic Pool Cleaner and Splash More, Work Less
• Positive Sentiment: A Chicago Tribune article about maximizing fun and safety around pools this summer also underscores strong seasonal awareness around pool usage, which can be supportive for Pool Corporation’s repair, chemicals, and equipment demand. Top 5 tips for maximizing both fun and safety around your pool this summer
• Neutral Sentiment: News about the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool being drained again is unrelated to Pool Corporation’s core business and is unlikely to materially affect the stock. Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool drained again as Trump administration resumes repairs
• Neutral Sentiment: Other “pool” headlines referenced unrelated companies or niche mining/pharma stories and do not appear relevant to Pool Corporation NASDAQ: POOL.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John E. Stokely purchased 1,000 shares of Pool stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $193.06 per share, with a total value of $193,060.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,230 shares in the company, valued at $3,133,363.80. This represents a 6.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director James D. Hope bought 464 shares of Pool stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $194.41 per share, for a total transaction of $90,206.24. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 3,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $715,039.98. This trade represents a 14.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders acquired 21,989 shares of company stock worth $4,042,747. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ POOL opened at $210.82 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $193.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $218.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.05. Pool Corporation has a 52 week low of $172.68 and a 52 week high of $345.00.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.09. The business 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 period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th were issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 14th. This is a positive change from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on POOL shares. Wall Street Zen raised Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Pool from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Pool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. 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 research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Pool from $210.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Pool presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $264.50.

About Pool

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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