Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC Sells 6,417 Shares of Pool Corporation $POOL

Key Points

• Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC reduced its Pool Corporation stake by 5.2% in Q1, selling 6,417 shares and leaving it with 116,693 shares valued at about $23.6 million.
• Insider buying has been active: directors David G. Whalen and James D. Hope both purchased shares in May, and insiders bought 21,989 shares worth about $4.0 million over the past three months.
• Pool Corporation boosted shareholder returns by raising its quarterly dividend to $1.30 per share and authorizing a $600 million share repurchase program, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold.

Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC lowered its stake in shares of Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 5.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 116,693 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 6,417 shares during the quarter. Pool comprises approximately 2.6% of Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC owned about 0.32% of Pool worth $23,611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in POOL. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Pool in the first quarter worth $400,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in Pool by 237.9% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 17,390 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $5,536,000 after purchasing an additional 12,244 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Pool during the first quarter worth about $639,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Pool by 164.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 156 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Pool by 201.2% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,012 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $639,000 after buying an additional 1,344 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Pool

In other news, Director David G. Whalen bought 525 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $190.44 per share, with a total value of $99,981.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,936 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,701,771.84. This trade represents a 6.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director James D. Hope bought 464 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $194.41 per share, with a total value of $90,206.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $715,039.98. The trade was a 14.44% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have purchased a total of 21,989 shares of company stock valued at $4,042,747 over the last three months. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of POOL stock traded up $2.47 on Friday, reaching $210.44. The company had a trading volume of 460,841 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,087,534. The business's 50-day moving average is $193.44 and its 200 day moving average is $218.44. Pool Corporation has a one year low of $172.68 and a one year 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 stock has a market capitalization of $7.67 billion, a PE ratio of 19.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.05.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The firm's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 29th that allows the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty retailer to buy up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th were issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 14th. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on POOL shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Pool from $210.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America cut their target price on Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Pool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Pool presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $264.50.

More Pool News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pool Corporation announced its second-quarter 2026 earnings release date and conference call, giving investors a near-term catalyst to look for results, guidance, and commentary on business trends. Pool Corporation Announces Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Release Date And Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful change, with reported short interest listed at zero shares, so this does not appear to be driving the stock move.
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks comparison piece asking whether YETI or POOL is the better value stock could add attention, but it does not provide new operating information for Pool Corporation. YETI or POOL: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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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