Zacks Research Has Negative Forecast for Pool Q2 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research slightly lowered its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Pool to $5.27 from $5.28 and kept a Hold rating on the stock. The firm also projected full-year 2026 EPS of $10.97.
• Pool’s last quarter showed a mix of results: EPS beat expectations at $1.43 versus $1.34, but revenue of $1.14 billion came in well below the $1.82 billion consensus estimate. The company also guided FY2026 EPS to a range of $10.87 to $11.17.
• Sentiment remains cautious, with analysts holding a consensus Hold rating and an average price target of $261.38. At the same time, Pool raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 and authorized a $600 million share repurchase plan.

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Pool in a research note issued on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the specialty retailer will post earnings of $5.27 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $5.28. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Pool's current full-year earnings is $11.08 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Pool's FY2026 earnings at $10.97 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.86 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $13.02 EPS.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.09. Pool had a return on equity of 32.37% and a net margin of 7.57%.The business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.32 EPS. Pool's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on POOL. Wall Street Zen upgraded Pool from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price objective on Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings cut Pool from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Pool presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $261.38.

Pool Trading Up 3.4%

NASDAQ:POOL opened at $181.39 on Tuesday. Pool has a fifty-two week low of $172.68 and a fifty-two week high of $345.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 16.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.16. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $206.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $231.90.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Pool by 16.2% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $794,825,000 after buying an additional 357,643 shares in the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Pool by 3,831.9% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,001,987 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $457,955,000 after purchasing an additional 1,951,070 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in shares of Pool by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,371,772 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $313,794,000 after purchasing an additional 23,736 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Pool by 21.6% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 837,658 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $191,614,000 after buying an additional 148,519 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Southpoint Capital Advisors LP boosted its stake in Pool by 66.7% in the first quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP now owns 500,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $101,165,000 after buying an additional 200,000 shares in the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Pool

In other Pool news, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St bought 5,560 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $218.67 per share, with a total value of $1,215,805.20. Following the acquisition, the senior vice president owned 82,845 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,115,716.15. The trade was a 7.19% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director John E. Stokely bought 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $193.06 per share, for a total transaction of $193,060.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 16,230 shares in the company, valued at $3,133,363.80. The trade was a 6.57% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders acquired 32,549 shares of company stock worth $6,283,552 in the last three months. 3.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Pool Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 14th. This is a boost from Pool's previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. Pool's payout ratio is presently 47.84%.

Pool announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 29th that allows the company to repurchase $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty retailer to purchase up to 7.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Pool News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A Pool Corporation director reported buying about $1.76 million of stock, which can be viewed as a confidence signal from inside the company. Insider Buying: Pool NASDAQ: POOL Director Purchases $1,759,500.00 in Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Broader coverage of consumer-driven companies emphasizing large buyback programs may be supporting sentiment toward Pool Corporation by highlighting shareholder-friendly capital return activity in the sector. Consumer-Driven Stocks Boost Buybacks, Including Visa's $20B Plan (POOL)
• Neutral Sentiment: Another article discussed Berkshire Hathaway portfolio changes, but it did not include any direct catalyst for Pool Corporation’s fundamentals or earnings outlook. Willing and Abel: Berkshire's New CEO Makes Huge Portfolio Changes in Q1 (POOL)
• Negative Sentiment: The remaining headlines were about White House reflecting pool renovation stories and appear unrelated to Pool Corporation’s business, so they are unlikely to affect the stock directly.

Pool Company Profile

Pool Corporation is a leading wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related outdoor living products. Headquartered in Covington, Louisiana, the company serves a diverse customer base that includes service professionals, independent retailers, high-volume builders, and national retail chains. Pool Corporation's extensive branch network enables it to maintain strong local customer relationships while leveraging its scale to source products efficiently from manufacturers around the world.

The company's product portfolio spans pool and spa chemicals, water treatment equipment, pumps, filters, heaters, automation and control systems, liners, safety covers, and cleaning accessories.

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