Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Price Target Raised to $235.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus raised its price target on Pool from $210 to $235 while keeping a hold rating, implying about 7% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Pool currently has an average Hold rating and an average price target of $264.50, with several recent upgrades and downgrades from other firms.
• Pool posted a strong quarterly EPS beat, earning $1.43 per share versus the $1.34 consensus, and the company also authorized a $600 million share repurchase program.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $210.00 to $235.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "hold" rating on the specialty retailer's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' price objective suggests a potential upside of 7.08% from the company's previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings cut Pool from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Pool from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Pool presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $264.50.

Pool Price Performance

Shares of Pool stock opened at $219.47 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a fifty day moving average of $194.74 and a 200-day moving average of $219.23. Pool has a 52-week low of $172.68 and a 52-week high of $345.00. 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 (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.09. Pool had a return on equity of 32.37% and a net margin of 7.57%.The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.32 earnings per share. The business's quarterly 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. Equities research analysts expect that Pool will post 11.08 EPS for the current year.

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, April 29th that permits the company to repurchase $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the specialty retailer to reacquire up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John E. Stokely acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average price of $193.06 per share, for a total transaction of $193,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,230 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,133,363.80. This trade represents a 6.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director James D. Hope bought 464 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $194.41 per share, for a total transaction of $90,206.24. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at $715,039.98. The trade was a 14.44% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders acquired a total of 21,989 shares of company stock worth $4,042,747 in the last 90 days. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of POOL. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Pool by 16.2% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $794,825,000 after purchasing an additional 357,643 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Pool by 3,831.9% during the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,001,987 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $457,955,000 after buying an additional 1,951,070 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Pool by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,371,772 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $313,794,000 after acquiring an additional 23,736 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Pool by 21.6% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 837,658 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $191,614,000 after acquiring an additional 148,519 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Southpoint Capital Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Pool by 66.7% during the 1st quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP now owns 500,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $101,165,000 after acquiring an additional 200,000 shares during the period. 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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