Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $279.6250.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on POOL. Cfra upgraded Pool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $304.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 target price on Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th.

Pool News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Seasonal demand pickup — Washington, D.C. reports public pool cleanup activity ahead of summer, a signal for rising demand for pool chemicals, parts and services that benefit distributors like POOL. DC public pool clean up is underway
• Positive Sentiment: New pool openings — A high‑profile $35M public pool project in Piedmont recently opened, underscoring municipal and private spending on pool infrastructure that can drive POOL’s wholesale orders. After Six Dry Years, Piedmont’s $35 Million Pool Palace Makes a Splash
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings catalyst — POOL will release Q1 2026 results before the market on April 23 and host a conference call; this is likely to increase volatility and focus on revenue / margin trends and FY2026 guidance. Pool Corporation Announces First Quarter 2026 Earnings Release Date and Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer product interest — Reviews of new consumer pool robots (e.g., Aiper Scuba V3) show healthy consumer engagement in pool care products; indirect positive for long‑term end‑market demand but limited near‑term impact on POOL. Aiper Scuba V3 Review: Finally, a pool robot with an actual brain
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downdraft — Wells Fargo lowered its POOL price target from $230 to $215 and kept an “equal weight” rating, trimming upside and potentially pressuring sentiment ahead of earnings. Pool had its price target lowered by Wells Fargo & Company

Insider Activity at Pool

In other Pool news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez purchased 5,000 shares of Pool stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $205.00 per share, with a total value of $1,025,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 110,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,572,140. This trade represents a 4.76% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St purchased 5,560 shares of Pool stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was 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 directly owned 82,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,115,716.15. The trade was a 7.19% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in Pool by 3,879.1% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 33,942 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $7,764,000 after purchasing an additional 33,089 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Pool by 1,719.3% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 133,738 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $30,593,000 after purchasing an additional 126,387 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Pool by 3,512.1% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,192 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $273,000 after purchasing an additional 1,159 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Pool by 27.5% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,333 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $762,000 after purchasing an additional 719 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kera Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Pool in the fourth quarter valued at about $254,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL opened at $213.51 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 2.24 and a quick ratio of 0.59. Pool has a 12 month low of $195.49 and a 12 month high of $345.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.84 billion, a PE ratio of 19.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.26. The business has a 50-day moving average of $224.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $249.09.

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

Pool Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th were issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.13%.

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.