Insider Buying: Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) SVP Acquires $1,215,805.20 in Stock

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) SVP Romain Kenneth St purchased 5,560 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $218.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,215,805.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 82,845 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,115,716.15. This represents a 7.19% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Pool Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:POOL opened at $227.18 on Friday. 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 company has a 50-day simple moving average of $248.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $271.75. The company has a market capitalization of $8.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.22. Pool Corporation has a 52-week low of $210.67 and a 52-week high of $374.74.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.84 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.99 by ($0.15). Pool had a return on equity of 31.49% and a net margin of 7.67%.The business had revenue of $982.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $999.14 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.97 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.850-11.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Pool Corporation will post 11.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Pool Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Pool’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.13%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on POOL. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Pool in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Pool from $346.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price objective on Pool in a research note on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Pool from $360.00 to $310.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Pool from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Pool presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $281.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of POOL. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Pool in the first quarter valued at approximately $400,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Pool by 237.9% during 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 during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Pool in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $639,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Pool by 164.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 156 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Pool by 201.2% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,012 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $639,000 after purchasing an additional 1,344 shares during the period. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.