Hayward (NYSE:HAYW) Sets New 1-Year Low - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Hayward shares hit a new 52-week low of $12.63 and last traded near $12.74, below the $17.50 analyst consensus price target.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: two analysts rate the stock Buy, while seven recommend Hold, resulting in an overall “Hold” consensus.
• Despite the stock decline, Hayward exceeded quarterly expectations with $0.26 in EPS and $318.38 million in revenue, up 6.3% year over year; however, insiders have sold 270,000 shares worth about $4.4 million over the past 90 days.

Shares of Hayward Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HAYW - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $12.63 and last traded at $12.7350, with a volume of 3355063 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $12.87.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on HAYW. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Hayward in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. KeyCorp reiterated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Hayward in a report on Monday, July 20th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Hayward in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a "peer perform" rating for the company. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Hayward from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Hayward in a report on Monday, July 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $17.50.

Hayward Trading Down 1.0%

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a PE ratio of 17.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 2.49, a current ratio of 3.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $14.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.66.

Hayward (NYSE:HAYW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.02. Hayward had a return on equity of 11.61% and a net margin of 13.83%.The business had revenue of $318.38 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $303.35 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.24 EPS. Hayward's quarterly revenue was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Hayward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.840-0.870 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Hayward Holdings, Inc. will post 0.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Kevin Holleran sold 120,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.28, for a total transaction of $2,073,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 701,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,117,323.52. The trade was a 14.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 270,000 shares of company stock worth $4,385,100 in the last 90 days. 4.73% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hayward

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of Hayward by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 45,672 shares of the company's stock valued at $706,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in Hayward by 80.2% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,058 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 916 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its stake in Hayward by 0.8% during the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 112,055 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,499,000 after purchasing an additional 938 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Hayward by 33.6% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,760 shares of the company's stock valued at $82,000 after purchasing an additional 1,198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in Hayward by 103.9% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,482 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,265 shares during the last quarter.

Hayward Company Profile

Hayward Holdings, Inc designs, manufactures and sells equipment and systems used in residential and commercial swimming pools. Its product portfolio includes pumps, filters, heaters, heat pumps, automatic cleaners, lighting, salt chlorination systems and pool automation and controls.

The company's products are intended to help pool owners and professionals circulate, filter, heat, sanitize and manage pool water. Hayward sells through distributors, retailers, pool builders and service professionals, serving customers primarily in North America as well as selected international markets.

Hayward's business traces its history to 1925 and has developed from a pool-equipment manufacturer into a provider of connected and energy-efficient pool solutions.

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