Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Director De La Mesa Manuel Perez Acquires 10,000 Shares

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Director De La Mesa Manuel Perez bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $190.00 per share, for a total transaction of $1,900,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 30,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,720,520. This trade represents a 49.73% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Pool Stock Performance

Shares of POOL opened at $187.77 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.84 billion, a PE ratio of 17.27, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.16. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $212.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $237.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 0.55. Pool Corporation has a 1 year low of $184.50 and a 1 year high of $345.00.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. Pool had a return on equity of 32.37% and a net margin of 7.57%.The business’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.07 EPS for the current year.

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a boost from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.00%.

Pool declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to repurchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Pool during the third quarter worth about $29,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new position in Pool during the second quarter worth about $30,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in Pool during the second quarter worth about $33,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its position in Pool by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 122 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA grew its position in Pool by 78.6% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director Manuel J. Perez de la Mesa bought 10,000 shares for about $1.9 million, a sizable increase in his stake that can signal strong insider confidence in Pool Corporation’s outlook. SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director John E. Stokely purchased 1,000 shares, adding to his position and reinforcing the view that management insiders see value at current levels. SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Director James D. Hope also bought shares, further adding to the insider-buying cluster that often supports investor sentiment. SEC filing
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a note titled “Pool Corporation: Abrupt CEO Change Doesn’t Disrupt Earnings (Rating Upgrade),” suggesting at least one analyst sees the leadership change as manageable and the earnings outlook still intact. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several unrelated articles about pools, pool financing, and pool cleaners appeared in the news feed, but they do not appear to be direct company-specific catalysts for Pool Corporation.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Bank of America reduced their price target on Pool from $229.00 to $226.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Pool from $230.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Pool has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $265.13.

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.