Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Rating Lowered to “Sell” at Wall Street Zen

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other analysts also recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on shares of Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price target on Pool in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Pool from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, 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 research note on Friday, February 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $281.50.

Pool Stock Down 2.0%

Pool stock opened at $213.66 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $246.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $267.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 2.24. The company has a market cap of $7.86 billion, a PE ratio of 19.71, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.25. Pool has a fifty-two week low of $210.67 and a fifty-two week high of $374.74.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Pool news, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St acquired 5,560 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $218.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,215,805.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 82,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,115,716.15. This represents a 7.19% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the company’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 value of $605,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,968,580. The trade was a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pool

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Berkshire Hathaway Inc raised its position in Pool by 136.3% during the second quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 3,458,885 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,008,196,000 after acquiring an additional 1,994,885 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 1,951,070 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Pool in the fourth quarter valued at about $97,612,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Pool by 16.2% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,563,373 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $794,825,000 after purchasing an additional 357,643 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Southpoint Capital Advisors LP acquired a new position in shares of Pool during the 4th quarter worth about $68,625,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

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.