Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Makes New Investment in Pool Corporation $POOL

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 5,984 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,855,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of POOL. Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new stake in Pool in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Pool in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pool in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pool in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool Price Performance

NASDAQ POOL opened at $265.03 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $242.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $281.96. Pool Corporation has a 52 week low of $226.10 and a 52 week high of $374.74. The stock has a market cap of $9.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $3.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.01. Pool had a return on equity of 31.40% and a net margin of 7.77%.The company had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.46 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.26 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 EPS for the current year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 12th. Pool’s payout ratio is 45.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on POOL. Cfra raised shares of 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. Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of Pool in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. William Blair reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Pool in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Pool from $320.00 to $250.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pool currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $308.00.

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.