Manchester Global Management UK Ltd Invests $11.69 Million in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL)

Manchester Global Management UK Ltd bought a new stake in Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 34,300 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $11,694,000. Pool accounts for 1.5% of Manchester Global Management UK Ltd's investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Manchester Global Management UK Ltd owned 0.09% of Pool as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of POOL. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Pool by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,443,451 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,514,950,000 after buying an additional 21,870 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Pool by 22.7% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,260,313 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $474,886,000 after acquiring an additional 232,914 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Pool by 27.5% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,042,514 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $355,435,000 after acquiring an additional 224,674 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Pool by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 977,862 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $332,566,000 after acquiring an additional 13,519 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in Pool by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 763,817 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $260,416,000 after purchasing an additional 44,884 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Pool Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ POOL traded up $2.89 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $291.59. 824,164 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 382,486. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $323.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $344.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $11.00 billion, a PE ratio of 25.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.13. Pool Co. has a twelve month low of $284.28 and a twelve 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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.42 by ($0.10). Pool had a net margin of 8.18% and a return on equity of 31.11%. The company had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. Research analysts predict that Pool Co. will post 11.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.65%. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.55%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Pool in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "hold" rating and a $344.00 price objective for the company. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Pool from $340.00 to $330.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Pool from $360.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Robert W. Baird lowered 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. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Pool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $348.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Pool news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total transaction of $3,460,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 62,577 shares of the company's stock, valued at $21,651,642. This represents a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of Pool stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total value of $385,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 9,667 shares in the company, valued at $3,045,105. This trade represents a 11.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Pool Company Profile

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.