Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the eight analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $344.50.

Several brokerages have recently commented on POOL. Stifel Nicolaus set a $300.00 price target on shares of Pool in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Pool from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Stephens lowered their price target on Pool from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on Pool from $370.00 to $322.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Pool from $325.00 to $310.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th.

Pool Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of POOL traded down $4.79 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $306.52. 334,535 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 428,807. The firm has a market cap of $11.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.75, a P/E/G ratio of 3.94 and a beta of 1.10. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $301.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $320.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Pool has a 12-month low of $282.22 and a 12-month high of $395.60.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The specialty retailer reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $1.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. Pool had a return on equity of 30.11% and a net margin of 7.77%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.85 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Pool will post 11.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, April 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.63%. This is a positive change from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Pool's payout ratio is currently 46.90%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in Pool by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 786 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $268,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Pool by 22.7% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 972 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $331,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Pool by 79.3% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 53,081 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $18,098,000 after acquiring an additional 23,476 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Pool in the 4th quarter valued at $12,438,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the 4th quarter worth $412,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company's stock.

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.