Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Sets New 12-Month Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• 52-week low: Pool hit a new 52-week low of $197.13 (last $198.74) on Friday with ~656,606 shares traded, and the stock is trading well below its 50- and 200-day moving averages ($236.41 and $257.51) on a $7.31 billion market cap.
• Earnings miss and mixed outlook: Q4 EPS of $0.84 missed the $0.99 estimate and revenue was below expectations, though management set FY2026 guidance of $10.85–$11.15 EPS; analysts are mixed but the consensus rating is a "Hold" with a $281.50 average price target after several downward revisions.
• Notable insider and institutional activity: the CFO sold 2,750 shares while a director bought 5,000 shares, and large investors—including Berkshire Hathaway—have significantly increased stakes, with institutional ownership at about 98.99%.

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The stock traded as low as $197.13 and last traded at $198.74, with a volume of 656606 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $201.04.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Cfra raised shares of Pool from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $304.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Pool from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Pool from $240.00 to $232.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $281.50.

Pool Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $7.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.33, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.25. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $236.41 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $257.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.99 by ($0.15). Pool had a return on equity of 31.49% and a net margin of 7.67%.The firm had revenue of $982.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $999.14 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.97 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th were paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 12th. Pool's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Berkshire Hathaway Inc boosted its position in shares of Pool by 136.3% during the second quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 3,458,885 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,008,196,000 after buying an additional 1,994,885 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Pool by 3,831.9% in the 4th 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 acquiring an additional 1,951,070 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Pool during the fourth quarter worth about $97,612,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Pool by 16.2% during the third 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Southpoint Capital Advisors LP acquired a new position in shares of Pool in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $68,625,000. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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