Leslie's (NASDAQ:LESL) Stock Rating Upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus

Leslie's (NASDAQ:LESL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on LESL. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $3.00 target price on shares of Leslie's in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Leslie's in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America downgraded Leslie's from a "buy" rating to an "underperform" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $2.65 to $1.40 in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Leslie's from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $3.00 target price on Leslie's in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eleven have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Leslie's has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $2.65.

Leslie's Price Performance

LESL traded down $0.02 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $0.61. 642,616 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,560,267. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $0.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1.83. The company has a market cap of $113.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.07 and a beta of 1.30. Leslie's has a fifty-two week low of $0.51 and a fifty-two week high of $6.02.

Leslie's (NASDAQ:LESL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported ($0.23) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leslie's

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LESL. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in Leslie's by 125.1% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 399,169 shares of the company's stock worth $1,260,000 after purchasing an additional 221,809 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Leslie's by 205.3% in the 3rd quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 48,496 shares of the company's stock worth $153,000 after purchasing an additional 32,611 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Leslie's by 142.5% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 586,926 shares of the company's stock worth $1,855,000 after purchasing an additional 344,873 shares during the last quarter. Lind Value II ApS acquired a new stake in Leslie's in the 4th quarter worth approximately $10,258,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Leslie's by 271.8% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 111,763 shares of the company's stock worth $249,000 after buying an additional 81,706 shares during the last quarter.

Leslie's Company Profile

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.