Vise Technologies Inc. Invests $354,000 in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL)

Vise Technologies Inc. purchased a new stake in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,037 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $354,000.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rakuten Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Pool by 2,300.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in shares of Pool in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pool in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. FWL Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Pool during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA lifted its stake in Pool by 76.9% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 138 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other Pool news, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of Pool stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total transaction of $385,245.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 9,667 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,045,105. The trade was a 11.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Stephens cut their price objective on Pool from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Pool from $325.00 to $310.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Oppenheimer cut their price target on Pool from $370.00 to $322.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Pool in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "hold" rating and a $344.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $300.00 price objective on Pool in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Pool presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $336.22.

Pool Price Performance

POOL stock traded down $1.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $299.55. The company had a trading volume of 749,490 shares, compared to its average volume of 402,950. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $306.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $334.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a market capitalization of $11.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.20. Pool Co. has a 12-month low of $284.28 and a 12-month high of $395.60.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by ($0.10). Pool had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 8.18%. The company had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.85 earnings per share. Pool's revenue was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Pool Co. will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, April 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $600.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to buy up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.67%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This is a positive change from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.90%.

About Pool

Pool Corporation distributes swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products in the United States and internationally. The company offers maintenance products, including chemicals, supplies, and pool accessories; repair and replacement parts for pool equipment, such as cleaners, filters, heaters, pumps, and lights; and building materials, such as concrete, plumbing and electrical components, functional and decorative pool surfaces, decking materials, tiles, hardscapes, and natural stones for pool installations and remodeling.