Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) Receives $2.85 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ:LESL) has received an average rating of “Reduce” from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $2.85.

Several research firms recently issued reports on LESL. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Leslie’s from $4.00 to $3.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Leslie’s from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, August 22nd. Weiss Ratings raised Leslie’s from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $3.00 price objective (up from $2.00) on shares of Leslie’s in a research note on Thursday, May 14th.

Leslie’s Stock Performance

Leslie’s stock opened at $0.52 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $4.83 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.02 and a beta of 1.75. Leslie’s has a 52-week low of $0.51 and a 52-week high of $12.53. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $3.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $2.83.

Leslie’s (NASDAQ:LESL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The company reported $3.96 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.86 by ($0.90). The firm had revenue of $458.49 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $503.22 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Leslie’s will post -2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Leslie’s

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sei Investments Co. bought a new position in shares of Leslie’s during the 1st quarter worth approximately $61,000. Performa Ltd US LLC increased its stake in shares of Leslie’s by 27.5% in the 1st quarter. Performa Ltd US LLC now owns 148,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $166,000 after acquiring an additional 31,900 shares in the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Leslie’s in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Barclays PLC acquired a new position in shares of Leslie’s during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Clearfield Capital Management LP boosted its stake in Leslie’s by 520.5% during the fourth quarter. Clearfield Capital Management LP now owns 191,575 shares of the company’s stock worth $316,000 after acquiring an additional 160,703 shares in the last quarter.

Leslie’s Company Profile

Leslie’s, Inc (NASDAQ: LESL) is the largest direct-to-consumer retailer of swimming pool supplies and related equipment in the United States. Through a network of more than 900 company-operated stores and a robust e-commerce platform, the company offers a comprehensive range of pool chemicals, cleaning tools, pumps, filters, heaters and pool accessories. In addition to product retailing, Leslie’s provides in-store and in-home water testing services, equipment installation, repair and ongoing maintenance programs designed to support both residential and commercial pool owners.

Founded in 1963 in North Miami Beach, Florida, Leslie’s has grown from a single neighborhood pool-supply shop into a national specialty retailer.