Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Estimate for Pool Earnings

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for Pool in a report released on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the specialty retailer will post earnings per share of $5.27 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $5.28. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Pool’s current full-year earnings is $11.08 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Pool’s FY2026 earnings at $10.97 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.86 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $13.02 EPS.

POOL has been the subject of several other reports. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Pool from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 target price on Pool in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $261.38.

Pool Price Performance

Pool stock opened at $181.39 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The company has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 16.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.16. Pool has a 12 month low of $172.68 and a 12 month high of $345.00. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $206.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $231.90.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. Pool had a return on equity of 32.37% and a net margin of 7.57%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pool

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Pool by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 122 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Pool in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in Pool by 78.6% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in Pool in the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Pool by 348.4% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Pool

In related news, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $175.95 per share, for a total transaction of $1,759,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 40,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,057,002.60. The trade was a 33.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director David G. Whalen acquired 525 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The shares were bought at an average price of $190.44 per share, with a total value of $99,981.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,936 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,701,771.84. The trade was a 6.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders purchased 32,549 shares of company stock valued at $6,283,552 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. This is a positive change from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is 47.84%.

Pool announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, April 29th that allows the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty retailer to repurchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Pool News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A Pool Corporation director reported buying about $1.76 million of stock, which can be viewed as a confidence signal from inside the company. Insider Buying: Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Director Purchases $1,759,500.00 in Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Broader coverage of consumer-driven companies emphasizing large buyback programs may be supporting sentiment toward Pool Corporation by highlighting shareholder-friendly capital return activity in the sector. Consumer-Driven Stocks Boost Buybacks, Including Visa’s $20B Plan (POOL)
• Neutral Sentiment: Another article discussed Berkshire Hathaway portfolio changes, but it did not include any direct catalyst for Pool Corporation’s fundamentals or earnings outlook. Willing and Abel: Berkshire’s New CEO Makes Huge Portfolio Changes in Q1 (POOL)
• Negative Sentiment: The remaining headlines were about White House reflecting pool renovation stories and appear unrelated to Pool Corporation’s business, so they are unlikely to affect the stock directly.

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.