Hayward (NYSE:HAYW) Sets New 52-Week Low - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Hayward shares fell to a new 52-week low of $12.89, last trading around $13.03, down 2.3% from the prior close. The stock’s consensus analyst rating remains “Hold,” with an average price target of $17.50.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $0.26 versus the $0.24 estimate and revenue of $318.38 million versus $303.35 million. Revenue increased 6.3% year over year, and full-year EPS guidance is $0.84–$0.87.
• Insider selling added pressure to sentiment: CEO Kevin Holleran sold 120,000 shares for about $2.07 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, while insiders sold approximately $4.39 million of stock over the past 90 days.

Hayward Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HAYW - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $12.89 and last traded at $13.0340, with a volume of 238639 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.29.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Hayward in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Hayward in a research note on Monday, July 6th. KeyCorp reiterated a "sector weight" rating on shares of Hayward in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Hayward from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hayward has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $17.50.

Hayward Trading Down 2.3%

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 market cap of $2.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.10. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $14.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.74.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $318.38 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $303.35 million. Hayward had a return on equity of 11.61% and a net margin of 13.83%.Hayward's revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.24 EPS. Hayward has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.840-0.870 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Hayward Holdings, Inc. will post 0.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Hayward

In other news, CEO Kevin Holleran sold 120,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.28, for a total value of $2,073,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 701,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,117,323.52. This represents a 14.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale 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 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 4.73% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hayward

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Hayward during the fourth quarter worth $1,744,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI increased its stake in Hayward by 13.2% during the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 9,089,866 shares of the company's stock valued at $140,438,000 after purchasing an additional 1,063,380 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Hayward during the second quarter valued at $422,455,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Hayward during the second quarter worth $8,358,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hayward by 371.8% during the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 150,651 shares of the company's stock worth $2,328,000 after purchasing an additional 118,720 shares during the period.

About Hayward

Hayward Holdings, Inc is a leading manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial swimming pool equipment and related outdoor living products. The company designs, engineers and produces a comprehensive range of products that address water circulation, filtration, heating, sanitation, automation, lighting and cleaning needs for pools and spas. Hayward's offerings include pumps, filters, heaters, salt and chemical sanitization systems, automation controls, lights, robotic cleaners and various accessories that serve both new pool construction and aftermarket renovation markets.

Hayward's product portfolio is organized into several core categories.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.