Stevens Capital Partners Makes New $1.54 Million Investment in Pool Corporation $POOL

Key Points

• Stevens Capital Partners initiated a new position in Pool Corporation, buying 7,598 shares valued at about $1.54 million in the first quarter.
• Institutional interest remains strong, with several other funds increasing holdings and institutions owning 98.99% of Pool’s stock.
• Pool recently beat quarterly EPS estimates, raised its dividend to $1.30 per share, and authorized a $600 million share buyback, even as analysts currently rate the stock a consensus “Hold.”

Stevens Capital Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 7,598 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,537,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Pool by 5.5% during the first quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 152,624 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $30,880,000 after purchasing an additional 7,917 shares during the period. Fulton Bank N.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Pool by 18.4% in the 1st quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 2,043 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $413,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the period. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. increased its position in shares of Pool by 197.5% during the 1st quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 170,676 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $34,533,000 after purchasing an additional 113,306 shares during the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in Pool by 1,625.0% during the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 276 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 260 shares during the period. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Pool during the 1st quarter valued at $430,000. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on POOL. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered Pool from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research raised Pool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Pool from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Pool has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $261.38.

Key Stories Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is focusing on Pool Corporation’s upcoming Q2 2026 results, with expectations for modest earnings growth that could help validate the company’s business momentum. What to Expect From Pool Corporation’s Q2 2026 Earnings Report

Pool Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ POOL opened at $219.47 on Friday. Pool Corporation has a 1-year low of $172.68 and a 1-year high of $345.00. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $195.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $219.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.09. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. Pool's revenue 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 research analysts expect that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 14th. This is an increase from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Pool's payout ratio is presently 47.84%.

Pool declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to buyback $600.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to buy up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Pool

In other news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 10,000 shares of Pool stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $175.95 per share, for a total transaction of $1,759,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 40,108 shares in the company, valued at $7,057,002.60. This trade represents a 33.21% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director James D. Hope acquired 464 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost 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 in the company, valued at approximately $715,039.98. The trade was a 14.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 21,989 shares of company stock valued at $4,042,747. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Pool 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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