Insider Buying: Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Director Purchases 464 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Director James Hope bought 464 shares on May 7 at an average price of $194.41 (~$90,206), increasing his stake 14.44% to 3,678 shares per the SEC filing.
• Q1 results and guidance: Pool beat Q1 EPS ($1.43 vs. $1.34), reported 6.2% revenue growth year‑over‑year, and set FY2026 guidance of $10.87–$11.17 (analysts average ~11.07).
• Capital returns and market signals: The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 (annual $5.20, 2.8% yield) and authorized a $600M buyback (~7.8% of shares), while shares trade near their 52‑week low (~$187) with the 50‑day moving average below the 200‑day, indicating technical/valuation pressure.

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) Director James Hope bought 464 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $194.41 per share, for a total transaction of $90,206.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $715,039.98. This trade represents a 14.44% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Pool Trading Down 1.8%

Pool stock traded down $3.41 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $187.04. 592,542 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 830,944. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 1.87. Pool Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $184.50 and a fifty-two week high of $345.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.23, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.16. The firm's 50 day moving average is $212.09 and its 200-day moving average is $237.58.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. The company'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. On average, analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This is a boost from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Pool's dividend payout ratio is currently 47.84%.

Pool announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Pool

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Caledonia Investments PLC increased its stake in Pool by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Caledonia Investments PLC now owns 160,887 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $49,886,000 after purchasing an additional 8,000 shares in the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated acquired a new position in Pool during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,399,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in Pool by 42.2% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 15,333 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $4,741,000 after acquiring an additional 4,551 shares during the last quarter. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC boosted its position in Pool by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC now owns 114,317 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $35,446,000 after acquiring an additional 2,024 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Pool during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,855,000. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst note: Seeking Alpha highlights that an abrupt CEO change has not disrupted reported earnings and that at least one firm raised its rating on POOL, which supports near-term confidence in the company’s operating performance. Pool Corporation: Abrupt CEO Change Doesn't Disrupt Earnings (Rating Upgrade)
• Positive Sentiment: Recent results and guidance: Pool beat Q1 EPS (reported $1.43 vs. $1.34 consensus), delivered modest revenue growth year‑over‑year, and set FY2026 EPS guidance of $10.87–$11.17, roughly in line with analyst expectations—factors that support valuation and earnings visibility.
• Neutral Sentiment: Weather-adaptive AI for pools: Coverage on emerging “weather‑adaptive” AI for pool systems points to potential longer‑term product/service innovation (automation, energy/chemistry optimization), but adoption and revenue impact for Pool Corp are speculative at this stage. Weather-Adaptive AI Just Reached the Pool. Here's What That Mean
• Neutral Sentiment: Local demand signals and consumer content: Several consumer pieces—regional “Are Pool Builders West Palm Beach Worth Hiring Now?”, Investopedia on pool financing, People.com product reviews, and a discounted robotic cleaner deal—show steady consumer interest and product spending but don’t directly change Pool Corp’s near‑term revenue visibility. Are Pool Builders West Palm Beach Worth Hiring Now? Swimming Pool Financing: What To Know The Best Suction and Pressure-Side Pool Cleaners, Tested and Reviewed DREAME Z1 Pro Robotic Pool Cleaner is now cheaper than Black Friday
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/valuation and uncertainty: Despite the EPS beat, shares are trading near their 12‑month low with the 50‑day moving average below the 200‑day, lower-than-average intraday volume, and modest leverage (debt/equity ~1.09). The abrupt CEO change, while not yet reflected in results, creates short‑term governance/uncertainty risk that can pressure the stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Pool from $232.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price target on Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Pool currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $265.13.

Pool Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.