Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Sets New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $195.80 and last traded at $196.5450, with a volume of 23944 shares. The stock had previously closed at $200.08.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on POOL shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research note on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective 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. Oppenheimer cut their price objective on shares of Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Cfra upgraded Pool from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $304.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Pool from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pool has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $281.50.

Pool Stock Performance

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 firm has a market cap of $7.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.26. The company’s 50 day moving average is $228.66 and its 200 day moving average is $252.32.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last posted 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). Pool had a return on equity of 31.49% and a net margin of 7.67%.The company had revenue of $982.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $999.14 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.97 EPS. The business’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, equities analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th were issued a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 12th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Pool news, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St bought 5,560 shares of Pool stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased 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. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Melanie M. Hart sold 2,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,968,580. This trade represents a 13.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 3.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in POOL. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in Pool in the first quarter valued at $400,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Pool by 237.9% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 17,390 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $5,536,000 after acquiring an additional 12,244 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Pool in the 1st quarter worth about $639,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Pool by 164.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 156 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Pool by 201.2% in the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,012 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $639,000 after purchasing an additional 1,344 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.