Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Sets New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Pool Co. (NASDAQ:POOL)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $285.91 and last traded at $290.96, with a volume of 620520 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $303.08.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

POOL has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Pool from $370.00 to $360.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Pool in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a “hold” rating and a $344.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Pool from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Pool currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $365.33.

Pool Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $10.97 billion, a PE ratio of 25.79, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $335.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $351.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The specialty retailer reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $987.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $961.04 million. Pool had a net margin of 8.18% and a return on equity of 31.11%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Pool Co. will post 11.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pool Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.65%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Pool’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.55%.

Insider Activity at Pool

In other news, SVP Jennifer M. Neil sold 1,223 shares of Pool stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.00, for a total transaction of $385,245.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 9,667 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,045,105. The trade was a 11.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director De La Mesa Manuel J. Perez sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $346.00, for a total transaction of $3,460,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 62,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,651,642. This trade represents a 13.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pool

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of POOL. Rakuten Securities Inc. raised its stake in Pool by 2,300.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 72 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new position in shares of Pool during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in Pool during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Pool by 790.9% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 98 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FWL Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Pool in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.99% of the company’s stock.

Pool Company Profile

Pool Corporation distributes swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products in the United States and internationally. The company offers maintenance products, including chemicals, supplies, and pool accessories; repair and replacement parts for pool equipment, such as cleaners, filters, heaters, pumps, and lights; and building materials, such as concrete, plumbing and electrical components, functional and decorative pool surfaces, decking materials, tiles, hardscapes, and natural stones for pool installations and remodeling.