Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Price Target Lowered to $210.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus lowered Pool’s price target from $240 to $210 while keeping a Hold rating, citing the stock’s recent valuation and outlook. The new target still implies about 12.4% upside from the current price.
• Other analysts have also trimmed expectations for POOL, with multiple firms cutting price targets and the consensus rating remaining Hold. MarketBeat says the average target price now stands at $261.38.
• Pool recently beat quarterly EPS estimates, approved a $600 million share repurchase plan, and saw insider buying from two directors. Shares were trading near $186.79, close to their 1-year low of $184.50.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) had its price target cut by Stifel Nicolaus from $240.00 to $210.00 in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "hold" rating on the specialty retailer's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' target price indicates a potential upside of 12.43% from the company's current price.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on POOL. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price target on Pool in a report on Friday, February 20th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $261.38.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of POOL opened at $186.79 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55. Pool has a 1-year low of $184.50 and a 1-year high of $345.00. The stock has a market cap of $6.81 billion, a PE ratio of 17.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.16. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $212.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $237.58.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.32 earnings per share. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Pool will post 11.07 EPS for the current year.

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 29th that allows the company to buyback $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $190.00 per share, with a total value of $1,900,000.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 30,108 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,720,520. This represents a 49.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director James D. Hope bought 464 shares of Pool stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $194.41 per share, with a total value of $90,206.24. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at $715,039.98. This represents a 14.44% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have acquired 22,024 shares of company stock valued at $4,424,071. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pool

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Pool by 20.7% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,054 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,427,000 after purchasing an additional 1,209 shares in the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Pool by 1.8% during the first quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 71,259 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $14,418,000 after acquiring an additional 1,233 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Pool by 114.7% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 4,159 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $841,000 after acquiring an additional 2,222 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. acquired a new position in Pool in the 1st quarter worth approximately $319,000. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its position in Pool by 34.8% during the 1st quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 11,177 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,261,000 after purchasing an additional 2,884 shares in the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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