Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Sets New 1-Year Low - Should You Sell?

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $186.94 and last traded at $187.04, with a volume of 2308859 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $203.23.

Pool News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Appointment of an experienced external CEO and new Executive Chair may support operational continuity and reassure investors about succession planning. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company has reaffirmed its FY2026 guidance range provided with the April 23 earnings release, which tempers some concerns about near‑term performance despite the management change. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst consensus is middling (average "Hold"), so expect varied broker reactions and mixed guidance on price targets while the new leadership settles in. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Stock downside appears driven by the sudden departure of longtime CEO Peter D. Arvan and the postponement of the May 12 Investor Day — both events that increase short‑term uncertainty and prompted selling pressure. Read More.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on POOL. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Pool from $232.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. 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 price objective on shares of Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective 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. Four investment 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $265.13.

Pool Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $6.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 1.87. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $213.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $239.00.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during 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 business's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.32 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. Analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 14th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. This is a positive change from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Pool's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.00%.

Pool declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, April 29th that permits the company to buyback $600.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the specialty retailer to buy up to 7.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez bought 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 13th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $205.00 per share, with a total value of $1,025,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 110,108 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,572,140. The trade was a 4.76% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St bought 5,560 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $218.67 per share, with a total value of $1,215,805.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 82,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,115,716.15. The trade was a 7.19% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Pool by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 122 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Pool during the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in shares of Pool by 78.6% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new position in shares of Pool during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Pool by 348.4% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company's stock.

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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