AXQ Capital LP Sells 2,765 Shares of Pool Corporation $POOL

AXQ Capital LP decreased its holdings in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) by 76.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 871 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 2,765 shares during the period. AXQ Capital LP’s holdings in Pool were worth $270,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Pool by 7.1% during the third quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. now owns 857 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $266,000 after buying an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Pool by 11.7% during the 3rd quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 17,314 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $5,368,000 after acquiring an additional 1,808 shares during the last quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT grew its stake in shares of Pool by 5.2% in the third quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 2,404 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $745,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares during the period. Tredje AP fonden raised its holdings in shares of Pool by 98.1% during the third quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 5,918 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,835,000 after purchasing an additional 2,930 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kovack Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Pool during the third quarter valued at approximately $211,000. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Pool news, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $605,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 18,039 shares in the company, valued at $3,968,580. This trade represents a 13.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St acquired 5,560 shares of Pool stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $218.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,215,805.20. Following the purchase, the senior vice president owned 82,845 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,115,716.15. The trade was a 7.19% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on POOL. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. Cfra upgraded Pool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $304.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Pool from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pool presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $281.50.

Key Headlines Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.25 per share (annualized $5.00), implying ~2.3% yield and signaling management confidence in cash flow — supportive for income‑oriented and long‑term investors. Pool Corporation Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Senior VP Romain Kenneth G. St purchased 5,560 shares (~$218.67 avg, ~$1.22M), increasing his stake ~7.2% — an insider vote of confidence that often supports near‑term sentiment. SEC filing: SVP Form 4
• Positive Sentiment: Several institutional investors increased or established positions (e.g., Pacer, T. Rowe Price, Invesco), indicating continuing institutional interest that can support liquidity and valuation. MarketBeat Institutional Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry research highlights long‑term growth in fiberglass pool demand (2026–2035), a structural tailwind for Pool’s distribution business, but this is a multi‑year story and not a near‑term revenue guarantee. Fiberglass Market Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares at ~$220 (disclosed via SEC filing), reducing her holding ~13.2% — insider selling can be perceived negatively even if not large. SEC filing: CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results missed estimates (Q4 EPS $0.84 vs. $0.99 est; revenue slightly below consensus) and revenue was down year‑over‑year; analysts have trimmed price targets and some ratings, leaving a “Hold” consensus — these are near‑term headwinds that weigh on valuation. Earnings & Analyst Notes

Pool Trading Up 4.0%

Shares of POOL opened at $223.31 on Friday. Pool Corporation has a 1 year low of $210.67 and a 1 year high of $374.74. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $248.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $272.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 2.24 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market cap of $8.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.22.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.15). The company had revenue of $982.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $999.14 million. Pool had a return on equity of 31.49% and a net margin of 7.67%.Pool’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.97 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.13%.

About Pool

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.