Wells Fargo & Company Has Lowered Expectations for Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Stock Price

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) had its target price lowered by Wells Fargo & Company from $230.00 to $215.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price would indicate a potential upside of 0.70% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on POOL. Wall Street Zen cut Pool from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, March 29th. Robert W. Baird decreased 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. Zacks Research cut Pool from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a report on Monday, December 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $279.63.

Pool Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of POOL stock opened at $213.51 on Wednesday. Pool has a 12-month low of $195.49 and a 12-month high of $345.00. The company has a market capitalization of $7.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.26. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $224.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $249.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

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

Insider Activity at Pool

In related news, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total value of $605,000.00. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St purchased 5,560 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $218.67 per share, for a total transaction 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. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Berkshire Hathaway Inc boosted its holdings in Pool by 136.3% in the second quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 3,458,885 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,008,196,000 after acquiring an additional 1,994,885 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Pool by 16.2% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $794,825,000 after acquiring an additional 357,643 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Pool by 3,831.9% in the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,001,987 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $457,955,000 after buying an additional 1,951,070 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in Pool by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,371,772 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $313,794,000 after buying an additional 23,736 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted 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 during the period. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Pool

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

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.