Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Downgraded to “Sell” Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report released on Saturday morning.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Pool from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Oppenheimer cut their target price on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 target price on Pool in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Pool from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $281.50.

Pool Stock Down 2.0%

POOL stock opened at $213.66 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $7.86 billion, a PE ratio of 19.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.25. Pool has a 12 month low of $210.67 and a 12 month high of $374.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 2.24 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $246.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $267.80.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last posted 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). The business had revenue of $982.21 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $999.14 million. Pool had a return on equity of 31.49% and a net margin of 7.67%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.97 EPS. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Pool will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is 46.13%.

Insider Activity at Pool

In related news, SVP Romain Kenneth G. St acquired 5,560 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 82,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,115,716.15. This trade represents a 7.19% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 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 in the company, valued at approximately $3,968,580. This represents a 13.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of POOL. Berkshire Hathaway Inc raised its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Pool by 3,831.9% during 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 last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Pool in the fourth quarter valued at about $97,612,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake 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 purchasing an additional 357,643 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Southpoint Capital Advisors LP acquired a new position in Pool in the 4th quarter worth about $68,625,000. 98.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts still see meaningful upside vs. the current share price — consensus targets (~$266) and some $281 estimates imply roughly 25–30% upside from current levels, supporting a potential rebound if fundamentals stabilize. Pool Corporation Is Down 39%, But Wall Street Still Sees a $281 Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance was set at $10.85–$11.15 EPS, which is roughly in line but slightly below some analyst forecasts (consensus ~11.32); guidance provides a forward framework but leaves room for analyst revisions.
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry and consumer headlines this week (robotic cleaners, swim-jet upgrades, and pool-usage stories) are mostly product- and consumer-focused and don’t directly alter Pool Corp’s distributor/wholesale model, though cheaper robo-cleaners could be a long-term competitive consideration. Examples: Beatbot Sora 70 review, iGarden Swim Jet X, Aiper Experts Duo. Beatbot Sora 70 review iGarden Swim Jet X Aiper Experts Duo
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results missed estimates: reported EPS of $0.84 vs. ~$0.99 expected and revenue of $982.2M vs. ~$999.1M expected; revenue declined ~0.5% year-over-year — a clear near-term earnings and top-line headwind for the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Technical and balance-sheet pressures: the share price sits well below its 50‑day (~$246) and 200‑day (~$268) moving averages, the stock is near its 1‑year low, and debt/equity (~1.0) plus a quick ratio under 1 signal some leverage and short-term liquidity considerations.
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and liquidity: trading volume has been below average recently and the stock has fallen sharply over the past year (~39% decline), increasing the risk of further analyst downgrades or multiple compression if growth doesn’t reaccelerate.

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.