Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL) Shares Sold by Wasatch Advisors LP

Wasatch Advisors LP lessened its position in shares of Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 555,896 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 9,443 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP owned about 1.46% of Pool worth $189,527,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its position in Pool by 2,300.0% during the fourth quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of Pool in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Private Trust Co. NA grew its position in Pool by 76.9% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 138 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Pool during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $60,000. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on POOL. StockNews.com downgraded Pool from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Pool in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "hold" rating and a $344.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Pool from $360.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Pool has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $360.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total value of $385,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 9,667 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,045,105. This represents a 11.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total transaction of $3,460,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 62,577 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,651,642. This trade represents a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.

Pool Stock Performance

NASDAQ POOL traded down $10.21 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $296.04. The company's stock had a trading volume of 153,772 shares, compared to its average volume of 378,818. The company has a market cap of $11.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.13. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $327.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $346.71. Pool Co. has a 12 month low of $284.28 and a 12 month high of $395.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $987.48 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $961.04 million. Pool had a return on equity of 31.11% and a net margin of 8.18%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Pool Co. will post 11.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.62%. Pool's dividend payout ratio is currently 42.55%.

Pool Company Profile

Pool Corporation distributes swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products in the United States and internationally. The company offers maintenance products, including chemicals, supplies, and pool accessories; repair and replacement parts for pool equipment, such as cleaners, filters, heaters, pumps, and lights; and building materials, such as concrete, plumbing and electrical components, functional and decorative pool surfaces, decking materials, tiles, hardscapes, and natural stones for pool installations and remodeling.