Raymond James Financial Inc. Takes $1.81 Million Position in Leslie's, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL)

Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Leslie's, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 810,375 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,807,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned approximately 0.44% of Leslie's at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cibc World Markets Corp acquired a new stake in Leslie's during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Gitterman Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Leslie's during the fourth quarter worth $41,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Leslie's by 92.9% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 21,588 shares of the company's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 10,396 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL bought a new stake in shares of Leslie's in the fourth quarter worth $48,000. Finally, RPO LLC acquired a new stake in Leslie's in the fourth quarter valued at $55,000.

Leslie's Price Performance

Shares of LESL traded up $0.04 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $0.70. The stock had a trading volume of 4,170,100 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,502,372. Leslie's, Inc. has a 1-year low of $0.51 and a 1-year high of $6.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $129.08 million, a P/E ratio of -4.65 and a beta of 1.32. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $0.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.75.

Leslie's (NASDAQ:LESL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported ($0.23) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.21) by ($0.02). Leslie's had a negative net margin of 2.13% and a negative return on equity of 6.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on LESL. Stifel Nicolaus raised Leslie's from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Leslie's in a report on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America downgraded shares of Leslie's from a "buy" rating to an "underperform" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $2.65 to $1.40 in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Telsey Advisory Group restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $3.00 price target on shares of Leslie's in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $3.00 price objective on shares of Leslie's in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eleven have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Leslie's presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $2.65.

About Leslie's

Leslie's, Inc operates as a direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand in the United States. The company markets and sells pool and spa supplies and related products and services. It also offers various pool and spa maintenance items, such as chemicals, equipment and parts, cleaning and maintenance equipment, safety, recreational, and fitness related products.