UBS Group AG Boosts Stake in Pool Corporation $POOL

Key Points

• UBS Group AG raised its position in Pool by 30.7% to 297,361 shares (about $68.0M), bringing its ownership to roughly 0.80%, signaling increased institutional interest.
• Pool's board approved a $600 million share buyback (up to 7.8% of shares) and raised the quarterly dividend to $1.30 ($5.20 annualized, ~2.6% yield).
• Pool beat quarterly EPS expectations with $1.43 and set FY2026 guidance of 10.87–11.17 EPS, roughly in line with analyst consensus (~11.07 EPS).

UBS Group AG raised its position in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 30.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 297,361 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 69,797 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned 0.80% of Pool worth $68,021,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pool during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in shares of Pool during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Private Trust Co. NA increased its position 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 acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Allworth Financial LP increased its position in shares of Pool by 133.3% during the third 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 hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Pool

In other Pool news, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $605,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,039 shares in the company, valued at $3,968,580. This trade represents a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $205.00 per share, with a total value of $1,025,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 110,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,572,140. This trade represents a 4.76% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 3.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of POOL opened at $203.23 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $7.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.16. Pool Corporation has a twelve month low of $195.49 and a twelve month high of $345.00. 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 company has a 50 day moving average of $213.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $239.73.

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. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. Pool's revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to buyback $600.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be paid a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. This is a positive change from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. Pool's payout ratio is 47.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

POOL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Zacks Research raised shares of Pool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America cut their price objective 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Pool from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $265.13.

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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