Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts give Pool a consensus rating of "Hold" from 12 brokerages (1 sell, 7 hold, 4 buy) with an average 1-year price target of $265.13.
• Pool reported quarterly EPS of $1.43 (vs. $1.34 consensus) and revenue of $1.14B (up 6.2% YoY but below the cited $1.82B estimate), and set FY2026 guidance at $10.87–$11.17 EPS (analysts expect $11.07).
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 ($5.20 annualized, 2.6% yield) and authorized a $600M share buyback (~7.8% of shares); insiders saw mixed activity with the CFO selling 2,750 shares and a director buying 5,000 shares, and insiders own about 3%.

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Hold" by the twelve brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $265.1250.

A number of research analysts recently commented on POOL shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Pool from $232.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on shares of Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 target price on shares of Pool in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Pool from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $605,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,968,580. This trade represents a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez bought 5,000 shares of Pool stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $205.00 per share, with a total value of $1,025,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 110,108 shares of the company's stock, valued at $22,572,140. This represents a 4.76% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Pool

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CNB Bank boosted its stake in Pool by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. CNB Bank now owns 918 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH boosted its stake in Pool by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 999 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $310,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in Pool by 22.0% in the 3rd quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 227 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Pool by 20.0% in the 4th quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 270 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Wealthspire Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Pool by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 1,051 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $240,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Pool Price Performance

NASDAQ POOL opened at $203.23 on Tuesday. Pool has a 12 month low of $195.49 and a 12 month high of $345.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.41 billion, a PE ratio of 18.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.16. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $213.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $239.73.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 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 business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.32 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Pool will post 11.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This is a positive change from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Pool's payout ratio is 46.00%.

Pool announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, April 29th that allows the company to buyback $600.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

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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